Love and Burden
by The Great Red Dragon
Summary: A sequel to my "Before Perfection" and "A Change of Heart" by Took-Baggins: Experiment 541 encounters the other Experiments of Hawaii, but amidst newfound friendships, a dark force returns from Auron's past to endanger the Ohana... Discontinued.
1. The Beginning

[Hello everybody, and welcome to my second extensive 'Lilo & Stitch' fic. I hope you will enjoy!  
  
First of all, I have to state the following:  
  
Auron [Experiment 541], belongs to me. His origin lies in a previous fic of mine, 'Before Perfection', and it'd probably be wise if you were to read that before this.  
The other Experiments (Owen, Peka, Twyla, and Aron and Garon] belong to Took Baggins, and are all described in her many stories. I give her all credit for them, and she has graciously agreed to let me mix my storyline with hers (isn't she the greatest?).  
  
This fic is the sequel to both 'Before Perfection' and 'A Change of Heart' [the second by Took Baggins]. I'm very excited about writing this, and all I can ask from my readers is that I'm supplied with intelligent feedback...be it positive or rightly negative.  
  
So, without further ado (shades of the 'Before Perfection' foreword), I present to you;  
  
'Love and Burden']

* * *

Love and Burden  
by The Great Red Dragon  
  
Chapter 1

* * *

It had stopped raining a while ago, and the streets were left in the greasy after-dew that the rain left. Disgusting grime spawned in the cracks of sidewalks and crept forth like brightly green slugs.  
It was so nasty outside that a person would avoid the outdoors altogether. People stayed inside and sheltered, and even the homeless sought refuge in a variety.  
  
In a small, lighted phone booth, with a floor as filthy as a garbage can, a small, blue figure, wrapped in a cloak, sat crouched in the small corner, glaring at the revolting scenery outside of his temporary haven.  
Experiment 541 balled his hand into a loose fist and blew warmly thoroughly the cracks. His breath could warm his hands for only so long, so he performed this action quite frequently. His lower set of arms was concealed inside of his body, so he didn't need to worry about those. His small, red backpack lay across from him. At the moment, he was mainly using it to store his munchies. Several pouches were filled with nothing but candy bars and things that were high in sugar; it kept him energized.  
  
He grimaced and pulled out a peanut bar. It had grown warm and mushy inside the backpack, but he chewed it down anyway.  
541 reflected on the last time he had a decent meal...it had been several month ago....back with his family.  
  
He shut his eyes tightly as his mind traveled back to his loved ones. It had been nearly six months since he had seen them; since he left them.  
541 clenched his fingers over his furry brow so hard that it hurt. It pained to even think that he could not be with his loved ones when he wanted to, and to have miles and miles of land and water separating them made it even worse.  
  
When he had left Riley, Rebecca, Lara, and Dr. Hartrum, he had no course in mind of where to go. For some time, he had wandered around the island he was on, but then boarded a ship that made travels between the isles of Hawaii. From the bowels of the ship, he would listen as passengers overhead laughed and danced on the deck while he lay in the grimy innards of the sea- faring vessel. When the boat would finally dock, he would slip unheard into the water and swim with his pack until he was clear of human eyes. Then, he'd crawl up onto the beach, and make his way inwards of the island.  
  
541 had visited just about every island now, large and small. He had been to many sites and places, although all of them had held the distinct Hawaiian taste...perhaps he could check out something else?  
He shook the thought out of his head. It would be nice to see the world, but he didn't feel comfortable leaving his family so far behind.  
  
Family...  
  
His family was the reason that 541 found himself in the phone booth [besides the rain]; he had tried to call them, but the receiver cord had been ripped off.  
541 had responded with anger, and punched the saved quarters out of the machine. He would've normally been happy for the extra money [he had been running low], but he would've given up his fur coat for a chance to speak with his loved ones.  
  
For some time, he had experienced an urge stronger than usual to get back to his family. The will to communicate with them was gigantic, and almost insane.  
But it was an understandable insanity. 541 had left his family to protect them from a would-be threat...but it had been months without any danger, and it was beginning to seem as if the whole act was senseless.  
  
Then again, 541 repeatedly told himself that the enemy would strike when he was least aware of them. This thought is what kept him moving, what kept him running, and what kept him from seeing his family.  
541 finished his peanut bar and crumpled up the plastic wrapper and stuffed it into the pocket of his jacket. He blew through his hands again before settling down onto his behind.  
One of the reasons that he wished to be back at home was because he wanted to somebody to talk to freely. He wanted to be able to spring up a conversation at random, and not at fixed points through a telephone booth. His one-way letters weren't too appealing to himself either.  
  
Also, he missed his name.  
  
When he was with Riley and his family, his name was Auron. It stood for compassion, honor, and courage. When he was on his own, his name was 541, or sometimes nothing at all.  
Auron sighed heavily. He hadn't thought it possible to sink into depression on account of having no name, but he was proved wrong.  
  
He now looked up, and saw through the cracked glass of the phone booth that the rain had stopped. He realized that there was no point in sitting around and doing nothing [it was only three P.M.], and began to pack up his things. He zipped up his cloak and swung his backpack over his shoulder. With one hand he pushed open the door of the booth and made his way down the sloppy street, while skipping mud puddles and the green grime as he went.  
  
Auron walked through the town steadily, stopping here and there to momentarily view stores or attractions. He noted mentally that this place was very much like the town he had lived in with his family...although, such stormy weather was rare to him.  
After some time, the pavement ended and was replaced by a dirt road that traveled out of the shopping streets and into the neighborhoods. Overhead, Auron noticed the dark clouds parting as the sunlight began to slice through them. He realized that soon people would be emerging from their houses again, and he'd have to find cover quick.  
To the left, the road curved upwards, away from what seemed the other houses. Auron moved partially into the green overgrowth and moved uphill, hoping that he wouldn't encounter anymore residents.  
  
Once at the top, he did find a single [yet large] house. From the looks of it, it held many rooms within, with several stories. There were many windows that decorated the front view, and a squared flight of stairs led up to the front door.  
And...most extraordinarily, he saw a large, circular dome erected from what was the attic, and his only thought was that it must be a small [yet genuine] observatory.  
  
All in all, a very original-looking house.  
  
Auron noted that there was a parked car in the garage, which probably meant that there was somebody home. Sometimes, if he was feeling bold enough, Auron would sneak into an empty house, and steal a small amount of unnoticeable food, usually bread or candy. There was no chance of him doing so here.  
He didn't think he should go back down the hill, and he figured that he might find a way around the house. Venturing out carefully, he climbed through and around the wild-tamed plant life surrounding the house, and found himself in a large backyard that led only into the jungle, with no pathway in sight.  
  
Auron shook his head, and realized that he would have to work a bit of waiting into his schedule. During the day, he couldn't risk being seen, so the only option was to sit and wait until after dark.  
Feeling very lazy, he slinked his way into the greens facing the back of the house. He found a comfortable cradle-like bunch of vines and leaves and settled himself down, with a good look of the house's back-view in sight. He could still see the dome of the observatory.  
  
Auron reached into his backpack and pulled out a small CD player and inserted the ear pieces. With a click of a button, the mild-shriek of a guitar opened up 'Rock You like a Hurricane': the success of the Scorpions.  
He put his hands behind his head leisurely and spread his legs out. The position felt good, and just the right amount of sunlight and shade fell upon his body. For once, he felt at ease, and almost safe and almost secure.  
Auron leaned back, and was just about to close his eyes in relaxation...when he sat up quickly, his eyes wide and staring.

* * *

_My body's burning,  
It starts to shout  
Desire's coming,  
It breaks out loud  
_

* * *

The patio door swung open, and two little monsters burst into the dew-wet backyard of the Pelekai house. Behind them, although he was in no hurry, came another monster, bigger than the romping twins, but below four feet in stature. He would have moved faster, but his stomach was still digesting a very unusual sandwich [spam and sour pickles].  
  
The monster with the strange diet was Owen, and the two wrestling around and jumping in puddles were his offspring, named Aron and Garon.  
Owen rubbed his chubby belly tenderly, and it growled in disapproval. This was a strange reaction, as his stomach was used to receiving a variety of strange mixtures.  
  
"You two stay out of the mud!", he called aimlessly at his children.  
  
Aron and Garon simply rolled away from the puddle they were about to dive in, but quickly found another one.  
Owen sighed in exasperation and discomfort [his stomach], and retreated back into the house, making sure that he wiped his feet on the doormat.  
The living room was well-lit, as usual. Owen heard a conversation doing on in the kitchen, as well as some commotion upstairs.  
  
Not wanting any part in either activity, he settled himself onto the couch, in an attempt to quell the unpleasantness in his belly. Owen leaned back against a fluffy pillow and groaned dramatically.  
  
"Upset stomach?", came a voice from behind the couch.  
  
Owen jumped up in surprise.  
  
"Oh shoot, don't do that!", he said loudly as stitch himself emerged into sight.  
  
Experiment 626 sighed in mock frustration as he emerged from behind the couch.  
  
"You've kinda been on edge lately, huh?", he said as Owen sat back down.  
"It's getting to the point that nobody can walk into a room without you screaming."  
  
"Shut up", Owen said miserably as he tried to get comfortable.  
"Why do we even buy that nasty brand of pickles anyway?", he said, wanting to shift some of the blame off of himself.  
  
Stitch smiled smugly and brought forth the empty bottle of pickles he had held behind his back.  
  
"Maybe you should try checking the expiration date before you devour something", he said.  
  
Owen frowned.  
  
"Why in the world do we keep expired food in the fridge?", he asked.  
  
Stitch set the empty jar onto the table and looked sternly at his fellow Experiment.  
  
"Look who's talking", he said irritably.  
"We've gone to the trouble to setting aside a while rack of the refrigerator for the stuff that you eat; the least you could do is throw away your own junk."  
  
Owen felt guilty at these words, but didn't want his expression to be seen. He turned over onto his side and mumbled a quiet 'go away' at Stitch.  
  
Stitch shook his head and turned away from the miserable Owen. He scooped up the empty jar and made for the kitchen, where another two experiments were in deep conversation. Peka and Twyla were conversing vividly about something that Stitch knew he wouldn't be interested in. Carefully, he dropped the empty jar into the container for the waste glass, and then turned towards the two sitting on the table.  
They hadn't even noticed him as he entered, and were giving him no attention whatsoever, even though there was only a four-foot difference between them.  
  
For some reason, this annoyed Stitch. He was used to receiving a lot of attention, and this lack of getting it was very annoying.  
He cleared his throat loudly, hoping to draw heed upon himself.  
  
Peka and Twyla gave him no reaction.  
He cleared his throat even louder.  
Peka and Twyla continued in their conversation...  
Stitch coughed audibly: a nasty, hacking sound.  
  
Finally, the eyes turned his way...although only temporarily.  
  
"You might want to get a glass of water", Peka said to him.  
"Aron's had a cough for a while. Maybe you caught what he's got."  
  
"There's some cough drops in the bathroom", Twyla added.  
"They're cherry-flavored."  
  
And then, she and Peka continued with their conversation, leaving Stitch feeling both confused and vexed.  
  
"What time is it?", he asked loudly.  
  
Again, the eyes were averted to him, but this time with equal annoyance.  
  
"There's a clock right above you", Twyla informed him.  
"Now quit playing stupid."  
  
"Oh, come on!", Stitch moaned, climbing onto a chair to add to his height.  
"Why won't you talk to me?"  
  
Twyla sighed and leaned against the wall of the table.  
  
"Weren't you listening to us when we were talking?", she asked.  
  
Stitch shook his head.  
  
"We were discussing names for the baby."  
  
Stitch slapped himself mentally upside the head. He had forgotten that he was an expectant father.  
That was pretty hard to do, considering all of the reminders he was receiving. Twyla gaining weight and form was more than enough, but there was also a lot of talk circulating of knocking out the living-room wall to expand the house. Everybody had begun to notice that the house that had once seemed very large was beginning to look so small to a big ohana.  
  
Stitch looked at Peka and Twyla, and he tried hard to hide his stubbornness.  
  
"So why aren't I in this conversation?", he asked.  
"It's my kid, so shouldn't I have some say in this?"  
  
Twyla closed her eyes and groaned.  
  
"Come on, Stitch...", she said in an pleading voice.  
"I barely got any sleep last night...I think it's gonna be time, soon."  
  
At once, Stitch's face dropped as he realized his inconsideration. Twyla had begun to experience the pains of pre-birth, and she needed all the rest and serenity she could get.  
  
"I'm...I'm sorry", he apologized, and climbed on top of the table to be closer to his love.  
"Really, I am. Is there something I can do for you?"  
  
Twyla shook her head and closed her eyes.  
  
"No, that's fine", she said.  
  
Stitch sighed and leaned forward onto his hands.  
  
"It's hard to be a father for a kid who's not even born yet", he said with humor.  
"I'm not used to this at all."  
  
Twyla chuckled and pulled Stitch back to her. Falling for his obvious charm, she nuzzled the fur on his neck and kissed him on his nose gently.  
  
"You do fine", she said as he placed an arm around her.  
  
Stitch squeezed her gently and returned the kiss. He wasn't used to showing his passionate side, but he was very good at it.  
At the other end of the table, Peka sighed obviously.  
  
"Look at the time", she said, glancing at the clock.  
"Aren't you supposed to pick up Lilo from the bus stop now?"  
  
Stitch's eyes widened in sudden surprise.  
  
"Oh!", he said.  
"I forgot!"  
  
He jumped down from the table nimbly and made his way to the front door quickly.  
  
"See you in a few!", he said, and Peka and Twyla heard the front door open and close.  
  
Twyla looked at Peka in an annoyance that was almost anger. She was about to question her angrily to why she had broken up the moment...when a harsh pitter-patter of feet was heard entering from the patio into the living room, and the combined voices of Aron and Garon calling;  
  
"Mom, Dad, come quick!"  
  
Peka jumped from the table and ran to the living room, with Twyla giving pursuit.  
They found Aron and Garon, muddy and wet, pulling frantically at Owen's right arm, urging him to follow them outside. They looked very excited about something.  
  
"_Hold it, hold it!_", Owen was saying in protest as the twins pulled at him.  
  
Peka came forward and released Owen from his snare, and turned to her children. Immediately, they began giving her the same treatment, but she silenced them both with an authoritative;  
  
"Calm down!"  
  
At once, they sat silently down on the floor, like two well-trained puppies. Still, it was evident that they were bursting to say something.  
  
"Now, what happened?", Peka asked them as Owen realigned himself.  
  
Aron and Garon looked at each other to decide who would speak first: this was a system they had developed for their mother.  
Finally, it was Garon who spoke.  
  
"There's a monster outside!", he informed Peka exuberantly, while pointing behind himself.  
"In the trees back there!"  
  
Peka, Owen, and Twyla all repressed a sigh. They had all had a lot of experience with Aron and Garon's monsters; they were everywhere: in the bath tub, in the closet, under the stairs, and in the basement.  
  
"Really, Mom! We saw something!", Aron said, backing up his brother.  
"We were playing in the yard and it was looking at us from the bushes!"  
  
Peka nodded reluctantly. She would've considered herself a bad mother to blatantly refuse to listen to what her children were saying, but the monster-stories were becoming almost annoying.  
  
"Honey...", she said to her kids gently.  
"Are you sure you saw something back there? Couldn't it have just been the wind making the leaves sway?"  
  
"No, no!", the twins insisted.  
"There was something looking at us!"  
  
"You're sure it wasn't an animal?", Peka asked.  
  
"It was a monster!", Aron and Garon insisted.  
"It had big eyes and looked like dad...only skinnier!"  
  
At these words, Peka and Twyla burst into laughter, while Owen gave them both an 'I-don't-see-what's-so-funny-about-that' look.  
Aron and Garon looked up at their parents desperately.  
  
"Don't you believe us?", they asked, with fear in their voices.  
"If you don't go and chase it away, it'll come in here at night and eat us!"  
  
Peka swallowed her last giggle and nodded.  
  
"Okay, okay", she said.  
"I'll go take a look."  
  
She turned to Owen, who was still looking very disgruntled.  
  
"Make sure no monsters come in here while I'm away", she said to him, earning herself a look of disapproval.  
  
Peka stood up and went out the patio door.  
Aron and Garon, who were cowering in the doorway, called after her;  
  
"Be careful!"  
  
Walking carefully to avoid the mud puddles [which had been spread by her romping children], Peka made her way towards the area that Aron and Garon had pointed out. Obviously, she wasn't planning to actually search for anything. She planned simply to look around a bit and assure the worried pups that nothing was there.  
She smiled to herself as she remembered Aron and Garon when they had been younger. At night, she would hear them call;  
  
"Mommy, monsters!"  
  
From their bedroom, and she'd come in and 'chase' the monsters away. She actually giggled when remembering that Owen didn't enjoy that game too much.  
  
["_Dad, monsters!_"]  
["_Let 'em eat you up_."]  
  
Owen...  
Peka was closer to Owen than anybody else in the family. She understood him, and knew that his love for food would never overrule his love for her and their children.  
But...it seemed that the passion that they had shared was fading. Owen used to be full of feelings and emotions that urged Peka to hold and cuddle him. Not that she didn't want to anymore, but it seemed as if he didn't want too anymore.  
Nowadays, it was rare that Peka would receive even a hug from Owen, and a mere kiss was like the coming of a comet: rare and quick.  
  
Peka knew that their physical love would change with the birth of Aron and Garon...but she hadn't expected it to burn down to such a small amount.  
It hurt her to know that Stitch and Twyla still had it all. It was a stab of emotional burden when she saw the two of them together, sharing the kind of love that she herself wasn't receiving anymore.  
Owen just seemed more ready to stuff himself with food than to simply share a few minutes with Peka. Even when Peka went out of her way to try to attract him to herself, Owen always found someway out of it. One day, Peka had arranged it so that everybody except she and Owen were out of the house. She had gotten him as far as the couch, and was ready to put her arms around him when he had noticed what time it was, and he switched on the TV to watch a sitcom.  
It was impossible to be romantic while watching a sitcom. She had given up then.  
  
Peka now blinked away a tear that was forming in her eye. She had now reached the edge of the jungle and walked a few paces inwards. Absentmindedly, she looked around, although not expecting to see anything.  
She turned back, ready to report back to her kids, when she stepped on something that felt unfamiliar. There was a silent cracking noise, and Peka felt something cut at her foot.  
She backed away quickly, thinking she might've stepped on a bug or a snake...but it was neither of those.  
  
When Peka looked down to see what she had crushed, she found no animal of any kind, but a simple gray CD-player, where the broken plastic cover had cleaved at her heel.  
Carefully and curiously, she picked it up and held it up. It looked as if it had been in good condition, and even the headphones were still connected to the player's outlet. Peka clicked one of the buttons, and the damaged lid creaked open to reveal a copy of 'Crazy World'...the group was called 'Scorpions'.

* * *

_The rhythm of love  
It's the beat I'm looking for  
The rhythm of love  
It's got the groove that hits the bone_

* * *

From his new hiding place, Auron cursed viciously under his breath. He had risked himself being discovered, and had left behind his CD player. Not only did he no longer have the tunes that he wanted, but he had left his trace behind. He had allowed somebody to get close enough to see him...and he had damn-near been caught.  
  
But...there was something greater than that at hand.  
  
Auron turned, and he could see [through the leaves] the figure returning to the house.  
There was no denying or mistaking it...she was an Experiment of Jumba's as well.  
Auron sat down and watched as the stranger re-entered the house, and the two smaller creatures crowded around her.  
Were they Experiments as well?  
  
Questions flooded Auron's head. He had always considered himself to be the only Experiment alive...he knew that others had been created before him, but he had thought them all for dead...he wouldn't have put it past Jumba to destroy all of his other 'failures'.  
Had these guys also gone through the Hell that he had experienced? Did they escape the lab like he had? How did they all end up on Earth?  
Auron clenched his teeth and closed his eyes tightly. He didn't know what he wanted to know, and it aggravated him.  
He had seen five of them in all, with two of them in the shadows of the living room.  
  
Did they all reach the planet together? Or did they find each other? If so, why hadn't they found him?  
Auron opened his eyes again and saw the patio door being closed. The female figure he had lost his CD-player to was saying something to what he thought to be the two children...perhaps describing to them what she had.  
Auron sighed and stood up, ready to venture deeper into the jungle for a better hiding place.  
He looked back at the house, and wasn't sure what expression would fit his face. He would be back to investigate more. He would spy on them silently, and find out exactly what was going on. And then, once he had uncovered all he needed to...maybe...just perhaps...he would let his presence be known.

* * *

[A/N: so, how was the first chapter? I hope I didn't set anybody out-of- character...if you have any complaints [or compliments], please say so in a review, okay?  
  
By the way, the lyrics of 'Rhythm of Love' and 'Rock You Like A Hurricane' belong to the Scorpions, not me]


	2. The Mystery Experiment

Love and Burden  
by The Great Red Dragon

* * *

Chapter 2

* * *

As the clock in the Pelekai household struck 3:15 PM, the elementary school bus rolled into the bus stop. The doors hissed open, and the sound of two dozen chattering children increased noticeably.  
Stitch stood off to the side and waved friendlily at the kids staring at him through the rear windows. Lilo had told him before that so many of her friends at school thought him so cool, and it felt nice to be admired.  
Lilo emerged into the sunlight, carrying with her a backpack that was almost the same size as her. Demonstrating safety-rules learned in school, she took five careful steps away from the bus, and stood still while it rolled away. She waved at her parting friends before turning around and noticing Stitch.  
  
"Did you have a good day at school?", he asked her.  
  
Lilo nodded and dragged her bag over to him. She hugged him in a post- school ritual, and he accepted and returned the embrace.  
  
"We got to work with clay in art today", she informed Stitch, as he took her backpack from her helpfully.  
"I made a horse."  
  
"Cool", Stitch commented as they began their way back towards the house, which was about a block away.  
"Did you bring it with you?"  
  
Lilo shook her head.  
  
"We had to keep them in the classroom", she said.  
"But we're allowed to take them home next weekend."  
  
Stitch nodded.  
  
"Did you do anything else?", he asked her.  
  
Lilo scratched her head thoughtfully.  
  
"Well, we're learning something new in math...I need Nani to help me with my homework."  
  
"Why're you always asking Nani for help?", Stitch asked in humorous offense.  
"You think I don't know anything about math?"  
  
Lilo looked at him in doubt.  
  
"What's a denominator?", she quizzed.  
  
"A what?"  
  
Stitch shook his head in confusion.  
  
"You're supposed to be learning math, vocabulary", he said.  
"Fine, you can ask Nani about your silly schoolwork."  
  
Lilo giggled.

* * *

They continued their conversation as well as their walk, and their feet carried them faster than they thought, and before long, they stood at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the front door.  
  
"-And that", Stitch concluded.  
"Is why you should never hammer in a nail with a toothbrush."  
  
Lilo smiled at his comedy and jogged up the stairs to ring the doorbell. Stitch arrived just as the door opened. Peka stood there, with an expectant look on her face.  
  
"Stitch, you're here!", she said.  
  
This got her questioning looks from both Lilo and Stitch.  
  
"Sheesh!", Stitch said.  
"I was only gone for ten minutes!"  
  
"Is something wrong?", Lilo asked.  
"Did something happen?"  
  
Peka looked on nervously.  
  
"I'd like to talk to Stitch...alone", she said carefully.  
"It's important."  
  
Lilo was about to demand why, but Stitch put his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Just a few minutes", he assured her.  
"Wait upstairs and I'll be there soon."  
  
Having heard this from Stitch, Lilo nodded obediently and picked up her backpack. She dragged it heavily towards and up the stairs, until she was out of sight entirely.  
Stitch looked at Peka.  
  
"What's so important now?", he asked her.  
  
Carefully, Peka held out what she had been hiding behind her back: the damaged CD-player.  
Immediately, Stitch looked alert.  
  
"You broke Nani's CD-player?!", he hissed.  
"Oh man, she's gonna be _mad_!"  
  
"No!", Peka said.  
"It's not Nani's...I found it."  
  
"You found it?", Stitch repeated.  
"Well, what's so wonderful about that?"  
  
He took the object from her and opened the cracked cover carefully.  
  
"Hey, it's the Scorpions!", he said.  
"Have you ever heard 'Wind of Change'? That's a great song-"  
  
"Stitch!"  
  
Peka had raised her voice in tension, and it did its job in grabbing Stitch's attention. He looked at her, as if he were wondering if he had done something wrong.  
  
"...What?"  
  
Peka sighed guiltily and shook her head.  
  
"I'm sorry", she apologized.  
"I'm just kinda nervous..."  
  
"You wanna sit down?", Stitch offered.  
  
Peka nodded and did so...right on the floor. Stitch followed her example.  
  
"Now...what'd you wanna tell me?", he asked.  
  
Quickly, Peka told him about earlier, when Aron and Garon had reported seeing a 'monster' ["It looked like dad...only skinnier!"], and when she had investigated and found the CD-player.  
After she had finished, Stitch pretty much knew what she was thinking. Still he decided to play dumb.  
  
"So, what're you thinking?", he asked her, leaning back against the door.  
  
Peka ran a hand through the fur on her head.  
  
"What do you think I'm thinking?", she asked him in retaliation.  
  
Stitch sighed.  
  
"I think that you're thinking that there's another Experiment out there", he answered.  
"Is that a correct guess?"  
  
Peka nodded.  
  
"Something like that", she said.  
  
Stitch smiled at her.  
  
"There's a lot of us winding up on Earth, huh?", he commented.  
"Kinda strange how we all find our way to this planet."  
  
"Don't you believe me?", Peka asked him, in a tone that suggested desperation.  
  
"I believe you, Peka", Stitch assured her.  
"Have you told anybody else about this?"  
  
Peka nodded.  
  
"I told Owen and Twyla about it", she said.  
"But I don't think they really believed me..."  
  
Her face fell slightly, and Stitch stood up. She looked up at him, and he held out a hand to her. She took it, and Stitch pulled her up helpfully.  
  
"What do you want to do about it?", he asked her.  
  
Peka thought for a moment...and when she looked back up, her face was still blank.  
  
"What can we do?"  
  
Stitch looked up at the ceiling for a moment, before replying with a simple;  
  
"Why don't we ask Jumba about it?"  
  
"_Well, duh!_", Peka said to herself; it seemed the obvious answer.  
  
Stitch motioned for her to follow him.  
  
"C'mon", he said.  
"I'll bet he's in the observatory."  
  
Peka faltered in her steps.  
  
"But didn't he say that he was working on something very important", she said, as if reconsidering her will to progress.  
"He said he didn't want to be disturbed, unless it was something important."  
  
"Well, another Experiment seems pretty important to me", Stitch replied.  
  
Peka's eyes met his own, and she looked at him sternly and seriously.  
  
"You do believe me, don't you?", she asked, in a tone that demanded an honest answer.  
  
Any and all amusement dropped from Stitch's face. With a solemn voice, and without hesitation, he replied;  
  
"I believe you, Peka. I really do."  
  
At these words, Peka's face brightened with a smile of relief.  
  
"Thanks, Stitch."

* * *

Jumba adjusted his many-eyed welding goggles and clicked a button to start the torch. He leaned over his "operating" table and began to spark and fizz away at a damaged remote. Over at the other end of the observatory, Pleakely was sorting boxes onto a metal shelf. He was wearing a flower- decorated shirt that looked ridiculous, even in Hawaii.  
Jumba didn't even have to look up to know that his assistant was doing something wrong.  
  
"Zat doesn't go zhere", he said loudly over the noise of the torch.  
  
Pleakely stopped in mid-action, about to put a cardboard box containing tools on the top shelf.  
  
"Well where does it go?", Pleakely called back in his naturally-shrill voice.  
  
Jumba sighed, but it was drowned out over the interfering sound.  
  
"Read ze labels", he replied.  
  
Pleakely looked at the box, and realized in embarrassment that it [as well as the others] had been neatly labeled, their indicated their location.  
He had just rested it on the second-to-bottom shelf when an audible knock was heard at the door to the observatory.  
  
"See who it is", Jumba ordered, and Pleakely scuttled over and clicked the door open.  
  
There stood Stitch and Peka, looking up at him.  
  
"We'd like to talk to Jumba", Peka informed.  
  
Pleakely nodded irritably.  
  
"Is this another conversation that I can't be part of?", he asked.  
  
Peka was about to apologize, but Stitch spoke before her.  
  
"Yeah, now get outta here."  
  
Pleakely rolled his eye and sucked his teeth before sulking out the door.  
Peka looked at Stitch with a bit of anger.  
  
"That wasn't very nice of you", her eyes said.  
  
"You said this was important", Stitch's eyes retorted, and he closed the door behind them.  
  
Jumba hadn't paid attention to anything except his work since he had called to Pleakely. Peka came over and patted him on his leg to introduce their presence.  
Jumba ceased with the sparking and removed his goggles. He looked down at the intruding with question.  
  
"You two", he said.  
"Vhat do you vant?"  
  
Stitch climbed on the table and observed what the doctor had been working on.  
  
"This is what was so important?", he asked in disbelief.  
"This is why you didn't want to be disturbed?"  
  
"No, no, I've already finished ze other thing", Jumba assured, picking up the remote.  
"Zis is for ze satellite receiver; I vant to vatch ze History Channel."  
  
He aimed the device at a nearby television set, clicked a button, and a perfect, fuzz-free picture appeared: the battle of Normandy.  
  
"Success!", Jumba congratulated himself.  
  
He switched off the TV and directed Stitch and Peka to a pair of plain classroom-chairs.  
  
"Now", he began, once they were settled.  
"Vhat vas it zat you vanted to see me about?"  
  
Peka gave Stitch a glance that signaled for backup [if necessary] and went into the same story that she had told Stitch.  
Jumba listened carefully to watch she had to say. He leaned on his elbow while she talked, and nodded after she had finished.  
  
"So...you believe zat there's another Experiment about?", Jumba questioned Peka after the tale was told.  
  
Peka nodded, almost reluctantly.  
  
"I don't think there's any other explanation", she said.  
  
Jumba nodded.  
  
"Perhaps ze little ones only imagined zat zhey saw this?", he asked in possibility.  
  
Peka shook her head.  
  
"No, I don't think so", she said.  
"...Call it experience, but Aron and Garon haven't ever actually described one of their 'monsters'...I think that they really saw this, and it wasn't just their fantasy."  
  
Jumba nodded again and stood up.  
  
"Vell, forgive me for not supporting you", he said.  
"But I don't believe zat another Experiment would find its way here."  
  
"But...what about the others?", Peka asked.  
"Isn't there a chance that they would've...?"  
  
Jumba shook his head.  
  
"Not likely", he said simply.  
"As far as I know, ze remaining Experiments fled ze lab once I vas captured. I tried to contact zhem several times, but without success."  
  
"But Owen stayed behind!", Stitch objected.  
"Why wouldn't anybody else?"  
  
Jumba sighed.  
  
"625 stayed behind because he was afraid to leave ze refrigerator", he said.  
"Besides, vhen you were zhere, you saw nobody else, right?"  
  
Peka and Stitch both nodded in agreement. It all seemed true.  
  
"I conclude", Jumba stated.  
"Zhere is little chance zat ze other Experiments would locate us on zhis planet, as zhere is much universe to explore, no? Ze twins probably saw a dog or zome other animal, but surely not an Experiment."  
  
With a nod, Jumba got up and returned to his work table.  
Stitch and Peka looked at each other in debate-defeat. Jumba had made it seem so logically-incorrect that another one of their kind would find himself or them on Earth. Peka remembered Jumba pointing out to all of them, all 625 Experiments [Stitch wasn't created yet], places that would serve as havens if ever something should happen. They would've gone to those places, and randomly spread out. It was pure coincidence that Stitch had gone to Earth, and the arrival of the others was built on from there.  
  
Stitch himself looked as if he thought the matter was closed. He got up from his chair and looked at Peka.  
  
"You coming?", he asked her, motioning towards the exit door.  
  
Peka got up as well. She and Stitch made for the door, ready to leave...when a sudden idea hit her.  
She spun around, wondering why she hadn't thought of it before, and called out to Jumba.  
He turned around to face her in surprise.  
  
"Vhat is it?", he asked.  
  
"Jumba!", Peka said.  
"What about the Experiment that got away?"  
  
Peka was sure that a sudden [yet quick] wave of shock passed over Jumba's face. His eyes widened, his mouth opened slightly, and his body convulsed.  
Peka remembered. It wasn't 625 Experiments that had received the info on where to go if danger aroused...it was 624.  
In the food court, on the training field, and everywhere else, Experiment number 541 had been missing. He was never seen, only by Jumba, who claimed that he was receiving a type of 'special-treatment'. Everybody had wondered and asked Jumba what the deal was with 541, but he had never told anyone.  
  
Now, Jumba seemed to regain his composure. He straightened his working-vest casually and asked;  
  
"Vhat about him?"  
  
"You know what I mean!", Peka said.  
"He got away! What happened to him? Could he be out there?"  
  
Jumba pursed his large lips tightly.  
  
"No", he answered sternly.  
"I have taken care of him. Zhere is no reason to worry."  
  
Peka tried to continue, but Jumba cut her off.  
  
"I told you", he said, his voice rising slightly.  
"I have taken care of him. Zhere is no reason to worry."  
  
He breathed in deeply, and took his eyes off of the bewildered and surprised-looking Stitch and Twyla.  
  
"Now please leave me alone", he said once his back was turned to them.  
"I have much vork to do."  
  
From behind him, he heard the two of them leave as the door clicked closed. Neither one of them would now deny that he was hiding something from them.  
Jumba put a large hand to his brow and wiped a trickle of sweat off of himself.  
In his mind, he was going over and over about what he had done in his past. He remembered his past-evils, and knew that he had done things that he shouldn't have.  
Jumba picked up the remote he had been working on, and crushed it in his hand angrily.  
He had always feared that his sins may catch up with him, but he had always told himself it was impossible. But now that the possibility of it had presented itself, he considered what danger it might bring along with it.

* * *

The mid-day had turned into a late evening. Lilo and Nani had already taken to bed, and Stitch, Owen, and Twyla were gathered in the living room. Peka, who was presenting her mothering-duties, lay in the small bed with the twins, who were snuggled up against her. A nearby lamp illuminated the pages of the book she was reading from, and Aron and Garon were listening intently, although a bit drowsy already.  
She finished the final lines of 'Peter Pan' and shut the book. As expected, there came the usual "Read us some more!" from the twins.  
  
"No, no", Peka said.  
"You've got to get your sleep."  
  
"Please, Mom...", Aron pleaded.  
  
"We're not even tired!", Garon added.  
  
Peka smiled at both of them.  
  
"You will be", she stated and climbed out of the bed.  
"Go to sleep now."  
  
Aron and Garon knew from experience that there was no use arguing from that point on, so they gave up quietly.  
  
"Okay...", Aron said in defeat.  
  
"Fine...", Garon backed up.  
  
Peka smiled again and turned off the lamp.  
  
"I'll leave the nightlight on", she told them.  
  
Peka leaned over the bed and hugged them both.  
  
"I love you both", she whispered to them, and kissed them gently on the forehead.  
  
"We love you too, Mommy", they said together, and hugged their mother back.  
  
Peka let them go, and they snuggled up in the covers. She went to the doorway, and flicked on the nightlight as she passed it.  
Once in the doorway, Peka turned around and faced her children, only dimly visible in the small light.  
  
"Good night, you two", she said to them.  
  
"Good night, Mommy", they replied, sounding very tired.  
  
Peka blew them a kiss and closed the door quietly.  
  
From the twins' bedroom, Peka went into the living room, where [as said before] the remaining Experiments were waiting for her.  
Peka sat down on one end of the couch, while Twyla and Stitch occupied the other end. Owen sat in an aged recliner.  
Peka surveyed her group. She was glad that Owen and Twyla were finally starting to believe her. She owed it to Stitch, who had backed her up after the episode with Jumba. Twyla had been more willing to believe her since Stitch did, and it was everyone's hunch that Owen believed because he was afraid of being left out.  
But now, everybody seemed uncertain on how to start the conversation; all that was going on was a lot of eyes moving.  
  
Finally, it was Owen who broke the silence. Trying to sound sophisticated, he asked;  
  
"Alright, what're everyone's thoughts on this matter?"  
  
Stitch, Twyla, and Peka all received a cue to laugh, but restrained themselves, considering how serious the situation could be.  
Peka leaned forward onto her elbows.  
  
"Back on Turo", she began, clearing her throat.  
"Did anybody ever see Experiment 541?"  
  
Twyla shook her head.  
  
"Nope", she answered.  
"I was pretty close to Jumba, but I never ever saw 541; I think Jumba meant to keep him hidden...but he did mention him sometimes, though."  
  
Peka was about to ask what Jumba had said, but Owen broke in with his own words.  
  
"I heard that he was a real freak", he said.  
"I heard he was seven feet tall, had seven arms, and one eye in the center of his forehead! He was so ugly that Jumba had to keep him hidden from others or they'd go blind!"  
  
Everybody rolled their eyes.  
  
"Where'd you hear that?", Stitch asked him sarcastically.  
  
"Some guys told me", Owen said, as if these were very reliable sources.  
  
"Really, you'd believe anything", Stitch scoffed.  
  
Owen mouthed a distinctive 'shut up' at Stitch, and Peka continued before things turned nasty.  
  
"What did Jumba say about 541?", she asked Twyla.  
  
"And why didn't he tell me? I was pretty close to him the whole time as well."  
  
Twyla shrugged.  
  
"In the beginning, I was supposed to be like Stitch", she said.  
"Y'know, the combat-type."  
  
She held up a hand that held four powerful claws, strong and sharp enough to slice through most metals.  
  
"He tried to improve my skills, but I guess I failed the test. But since I was the fighting-type, he let me in on some info."  
  
"What?", Peka and Stitch asked her eagerly.  
"What did he say?"  
  
"Nothing much", Twyla admitted.  
"He didn't tell anybody too much about 541...but from what I heard, 541 was a promising specimen."  
  
Twyla looked sideways at Stitch.  
  
"As far as I know, he was right below your levels", she said.  
"He was a real fighting-machine."  
  
Owen leaned forward in his chair.  
  
"And he escaped?", he asked.  
  
Twyla nodded.  
  
"Not everybody knew about it, though", she said.  
"I mean...you heard about it, right, Peka?"  
  
Peka nodded.  
  
"I remember Jumba being very upset", she recalled.  
"He tried to hide the problem, but with a little eavesdropping, I was able to find out about it."  
  
"Same here", Twyla said.  
"I actually crawled into the airshafts to sneak on him."  
  
Peka settled her head back with a look of confusion on her face.  
  
"But it bothers me...", she said slowly.  
"The way how I found out."  
  
"What happened?", Stitch asked.  
  
Peka took a deep breath.  
  
"Well, I followed him into his private office...he didn't know I was there, of course...and I heard him talking very fast on the phone with somebody...about 541."  
  
"What?!"  
  
Everybody was very surprised at these words.  
  
"He told somebody about 541?", Twyla asked in disbelief.  
"I thought he kept every one of us secret!"  
  
"He did!", Peka said.  
"I mean, up until then...I couldn't hear all of the phone call, because Jumba came too close to my hiding place and I had to run before he found me. But still, why did he let somebody in on that? I mean, Jumba was the only person every Experiment had contact with, who wasn't an Experiment. We didn't even have a janitor or somebody did the dishes; Jumba did all of that!"  
  
Stitch's face went grim.  
  
"He went to a load of trouble to keep all of us a secret...so why let somebody in on us right then?"  
  
Twyla sighed.  
  
"I think there's a lot we don't understand about this...we need a lot more information."  
  
A minute of silence followed this statement, in which everybody in the room was deep in thought.  
  
"I think", Stitch finally said.  
"That the only way to find out exactly what happened, is to ask Jumba directly."  
  
"Ask him directly?", Peka repeated.  
"Stitch, you saw how he reacted the last time!"  
  
"We'll all go", Stitch insisted.  
"We'll all go and ask him. He can't turn us all down."  
  
"...Uh, guys?"  
  
Everybody had turned to Owen, who had raised his hand.  
  
"Excuse me if I just forgot...but why are we so intent on finding out about this 541?"  
  
"_BECAUSE HE MAY BE OUT THERE_", everybody told him loudly in unison.  
  
Owen nodded in embarrassment.  
  
"Okay..."  
  
Stitch leaned back heavily and sighed in exasperation.  
  
"We'll ask him tomorrow", he stated.  
"Now, I think we should get some sleep."  
  
Peka turned around and stood up on the sofa to face the clock. It showed 10:30 PM.  
Without much talk, everybody got up and made way for their bedrooms. Halfway out the door, Peka turned and noticed that Owen was still in sitting in the recliner.  
  
"Owen, are you coming?", she asked him from across the room.  
  
"Uh, I think there's something on TV that I want to watch", he answered.  
"You go on ahead."  
  
Peka lowered her head sadly. It seemed as if Owen hadn't noticed this.  
  
"Okay...", she said quietly, and started for the bedroom, a lump of emotion forming in her chest.


	3. Natale

Love and Burden  
by The Great Red Dragon

* * *

Chapter 3

* * *

From the nest he had built in the line of the jungle, Auron watched as the lights in the large house were switched off. Finally, he could see only the large light in the living room still bright, mixed together with the blur of the television.  
Auron shifted himself uncomfortably.  
  
"What do I do now?", he asked himself aloud.  
  
Feeling that he needed a walk, he got up onto his feet and pulled on his cloak. He circled the house halfways-around from the jungle [to avoid being seen] until he was emptied out onto the dirt road that led into town. The night was dark and it was late, and Auron assumed that there weren't many people out on the street.  
  
He dared a walk in public, and quietly made his down the road, until he came to the 'T' that divided into the neighborhood and the shopping streets. Following a course that he had set on the way down, he made a right towards the grocery stores and convenience stores.  
The street lamps shone down on him weepingly while he walked in solitary silence. The night had turned cold, and he pulled his garment tighter around himself for warmth.  
  
He followed the streets for several moments, recordings that paths that led to where in his head. He imagined a nightly-tune in his head that he had heard before, that fit the scene he was in: perhaps 'Emotions' by Gigi D'Agostino...or a trance by DJ Darude or Quicksilver...  
Past an empty fruit-stand with a sign that stated 'Sorry, we're closed!', Auron found what he was looking for. A shabby-looking phone booth with a lighted interior came into view, and Auron put his clawed hand into his cloak pocket in a search for change. He found two quarters and a nickel, which was just enough for a single phone call.  
  
Quietly, he slid into the phone booth and shut the door behind him. He climbed up to level his own height with that of the phone box, and checked to see if the thing was intact before he inserted his coins.  
The reassuring 'beep' was heard, and he slid the coins through the slit- like opening. He punched in a number on the button-keys; a number that he knew by heart. He raised the receiver to his right ear and listened to the ringing begin.  
  
"Come on", he pleaded.  
"Please pick up..."  
  
There was a click, and Riley Kivanna's voice flowed through the receiver. Only, it was a recording.  
  
"_Hello_", the taped voice said invitingly.  
"_You've reached the house of Riley, Rebecca-Anne, and Lara-Gene Kivanna. We're not here at the moment, but you can leave a message if you'd like, and we'll get in touch with you as soon as we can. Aloha!_"  
  
Auron cursed as the message was played out. He thought of hanging up the phone and getting his money back...but then decided that it wouldn't hurt to drop a message.  
The starting-beep was heard, and the recording rolled to capture his voice.  
  
"...Riley?", Auron began quietly.  
"It's Auron...I guess you're not home right now."  
  
He changed ears for no reason.  
  
"I hope you're out somewhere with Lara and Rebecca, having a lot of fun", he continued.  
"I hope you're having fun, 'cause I'm not. It's been so long, and I haven't seen you at all...I hope y'all haven't changed too much.  
"I'm on Kauai right now, but I don't know exactly where. I'll let you know once I find out, and maybe we can send a letter or two. You wouldn't believe how boring all of this traveling around can be. It's not an adventure, it's just one long drag away from home."  
  
He cleared his throat audibly.  
  
"There's some things I want to tell you about...some people I've found and..."  
  
He sighed and cut off his sentence. Talking about what he had seen to a machine seemed stupid.  
  
"I'd much rather talk to you when you're actually there, and even more if you were here with me", he said.  
"I'll try to call back tomorrow, if I can, and I hope you're home then...I'm sorry, but I lost your CD-player...I promise I'll get you a new one.  
"It's getting late here...I gotta get back to camp now. Besides, my time's probably just about up.  
"Say hi to everybody for me, okay? Tell them I'm fine and everything's going good.  
"...I miss you, Riley. I wish I could be with you right now, wherever you are...I wish...  
"I love you, Riley...good night."  
  
Painfully, he hung up the receiver with a click and dropped from his position. Turning around, he pushed open the door of the phone booth and began the walk back towards the big house.  
  
The walk back seemed even lonelier than the first, and the whole town seemed dead and ghost-liked.  
Auron put his hands into his pockets and lowered his head. The darkness could not scare him as much as the thought of being left alone in the world did, for if it was the world already, he'd be alone in the universe as well.  
Once he reached the 'T' again, he headed back up towards the house. That night, he was too bummed to wonder about what was going on in the house. Surely, everybody was asleep by now, but he would've still wondered.  
  
This night, Auron felt so out-of-thought that he only realized where he was when he stood at the base of the stairs that led up to the front door. Auron looked up at the entrance, which was lit by a small auto-light that reacted to approaching people. Apparently, it was extra-sensitive and had picked up his position from where he was.  
Auron stood there for a minute, thinking of nothing. He hadn't considered going up there and ringing the doorbell, and he hadn't considered walking away. He wasn't sure what to think what anybody could or should do in his situation, and it was disconcerting in an odd way.  
Auron stepped away from the stairs and circled the house casually. His eyes shone brightly in the darkness as he observed its many features and windows.  
  
Before long, he found himself on the patio, looking into the living room through the glass door.  
  
The TV was still blaring loudly, but the viewer had fallen asleep in a recliner. He was undoubtedly an Experiment, and resembled Auron in shape and color. He was a bit chubby, but looked very healthy.  
Auron stared in at the unconscious Experiment, who seemed to be talking in his sleep. Auron looked up at the door, and saw that the door hand was at an angle that indicated it to be unlocked.  
Without thinking twice, Auron pushed open the door, casually yet silently.  
  
"_-And we had a cupful of Soapy Gems-_", the TV advertisement said loudly as Auron entered into the house.  
  
At once, he recorded the scent of everybody who had been in the living room. There was some familiarity about them all, but that was probably because he was smelling the other Experiments.  
Auron switched off the television, remembering how he couldn't stand wasting energy. The chubby Experiment mumbled something that sound liked;  
  
"Hash brown gravy..."  
  
And then, as if the entire thing had been a routine, Auron turned around and returned to the outside. He shut the door behind himself and began a march back up towards the jungle.  
Halfway there, he stopped in mid-step.  
  
"_What the Hell was that?_", he asked himself.  
  
He turned around and looked back at the house, which looked now completely serene.  
Auron wondered if he had blacked out for a few minutes and done that stuff back there. He felt very confused and possessed, and suddenly, the dark was his greatest enemy.  
Quickly, feeling very scared, Auron returned to his nest where he had left his red backpack.  
  
He settled himself down and looked around warily. Any monster who would want to eat him would have the golden opportunity now.  
Auron pulled out a quilted blanket from his pack and wrapped himself up. He felt cold both inside and outside...and then, all at once, it left.  
Auron decided that he was possessed; that was the only explanation.  
As he rested his head down, ready to fall asleep, he quietly whispered goodnight to himself and all the creatures surrounding him.  
  
It was a very strange night. 


	4. Confessions and the HellHound

[Disclaimer: the lyrics from the song 'The Different' belong to Melissa Etheridge, and not to me]

* * *

Love and Burden  
by The Great Red Dragon  
  
Chapter 4

* * *

Auron awoke the next morning with a strange melody in mind. Not wanting to forget it, he pulled out Riley's miniaturized guitar from a sachet on his backpack and stringed the notes together.  
It sounded very good...good enough to throw in a few words.  
  
Auron ad-libbed for a few minutes before he finally managed a few acceptable lines.

* * *

_You've never been to the moon, but don't you wanna know?  
Under the sea, in the volcano  
You've never looked into my eyes, but don't you wanna know?  
Is it what the dark and the wild and the different know?  
_

* * *

Auron smiled at himself, satisfied.  
He continued to fill in the lyrics as he went along. It was strange, because it wasn't the 80s-rock that he was so attached to...this was softer, but sounded just as good.  
He continued to play to himself, feeling better as he progressed. It was a nice feeling, to be coming up with a good song. It gave him a feeling of accomplishment.  
  
Just then, he remembered where he was...  
  
Auron stopped playing so sharply that he nearly severed a string of the guitar. He clutched the instrument tightly to his chest and hit the ground.  
Eyes alert and wide, he stared down at the house. He wondered if somebody had heard him. He had been so foolish to play so carelessly in full view of anybody who would've taken the time to look out of the window.  
His eyes scanned the side of the house, searching hard for anybody who might've seen him...there was an even greater chance that somebody had heard him.  
Auron grabbed his guitar in one hand, and his backpack in the other, and military-crawled deeper into the jungle.

* * *

Peka awoke on her mattress feeling not very rested. In the previous night, she had waited and waited for Owen to join her in bed, but she had fallen asleep in the process. Even now, Owen still wasn't there.  
She got to her feet dozily and wandered out of the bedroom into the hallway. The entire house was completely quiet, which was strange; Aron and Garon liked to get up and watch cartoons in the morning.  
Peka wandered over to their bedroom and quietly opened the door. The twins were not in their bed, and not in their room at all.  
  
Peka wondered about this and headed down the stairs. She didn't know where her kids could be...until she found them in the living room, where she also found Owen snoozing in the recliner.  
Aron and Garon were sitting cross-legged in the living room, next to Owen in the armchair [who was still asleep], listening intently for something.  
They looked up as they heard their mother approached, and raised a finger to their lips, simultaneously sounding;  
  
"_Shhh!_"  
  
Playing along, Peka came over to them on tip-toes and sat down.  
  
"What's going on?", she whispered quietly.  
  
Garon glanced expectantly at the glass patio door before answering his mom.  
  
"We're listening to the music", he answered in a hushed tone.  
  
His brother nodded in support.  
Peka nodded as well, not sure if this was a game of some sort.  
  
"What kind of music is it?", she asked them.  
  
Aron and Garon shrugged their shoulders.  
  
"We heard it on TV", they remembered.  
"Like that man who was being elec-tric-cuted."  
  
Peka smiled. They were referring to a live rock-concert they had seen on the television, where the lead guitarist did indeed look like he was being shocked by his own guitar [punk rock].  
Then, Peka remembered who might be lurking out there, and she stood up quickly, waking up Owen as she did.  
  
"_Hu__-huh?__ What now?_", he said in a slurred tone, weary with morning drowsiness.  
"_Who-? What? Where-_hey, who turned off the TV?"  
  
Peka took the twins by hand.  
  
"C'mon, you two", she said to them.  
"Time to brush your teeth."  
  
"Aw, Mom!", they whined.  
  
Peka nodded in reinforcement and led the kids towards the bathroom. As she left, she gave Owen a glance that he didn't return. It hurt her a lot that he would rather spend the night in front of the television than with her.  
  
She played supervisor as the twins brushed their teeth and washed their faces. She accompanied them downstairs where they ate their breakfast [while Owen occupied the bathroom], and left them in their room to play with their toys.  
The whole time, Peka had held watch out from all available windows. She had believed Aron and Garon about the 'music', and she didn't doubt where it was coming from...although she hadn't guessed that Experiment 541 would be capable of music.  
After she saw that Aron and Garon were busily distracted with their toy dinosaurs, she went to awake Stitch and Twyla, who were asleep on a large mattress.  
  
After all the Experiments had moved into the Pelekai house, three new bedrooms had been conveniently added to the building. Aron and Garon had their own bedroom [which also served as a playroom], and Owen and Peka would share the room next to them. Stitch and Twyla slept in the third. Lilo and Nani were able to keep their bedrooms, and Jumba and Pleakely slept in the shack-house outside [it was a heated apartment, with running water and two separate rooms].  
  
In the morning, everybody would usually enter kitchen for breakfast just once before beginning with their day. That was the time to see anybody if you wanted to speak to them, or you might not catch them at all. Sometimes, Pleakely wouldn't show his face for days [he wasn't really the social- type], but Jumba would be always be present.  
  
This time, it was the other way around, and Pleakely entered the kitchen, wearing another one of his horrible Hawaiian flower-shirts.  
Peka and the other Experiments had already gathered in the kitchen [they were waiting for Jumba] when Pleakely walked in.  
  
"Morning, all", he said lazily and opened the fridge.  
  
"...Uh, Pleakely?", Twyla asked him.  
"Where's Jumba?"  
  
"_Not him again_", Pleakely thought to himself and turned around, a can of iced coffee in his hand.  
  
"He said he wasn't hungry", he told them as he turned around.  
"He said he was busy working on something important...again."  
  
He sipped from his beverage and turned away towards the door.  
  
"If that's all you want from me, I'll go now."  
  
And he walked out of the kitchen.  
Everybody at the table looked at each other.  
  
"Let's go", Stitch said, and they all nodded unanimously.  
  
They all got up from their seats and headed out after Pleakely. They saw him climbing the stairs to the observatory, and made to follow him.  
  
"He's not up there", Pleakely said without turning around.  
  
The party stopped.  
  
"He's still back at the shack", he informed them and disappeared from sight.  
  
Wordlessly [and feeling kinda stupid], everybody made a turn towards the front door.  
  
"Is it just me", Owen asked.  
"Or do we look like a mob here?"  
  
Before any reply could be made, Aron and Garon sprinted towards them from the opposite direction, obviously tired of playing with their toys.  
  
"Good morning!", they said cheerfully to those who they hadn't seen yet.  
  
"Mom, can we play outside?", they continued, without waiting for a return greeting.  
  
Under ordinary circumstances, Peka would've insisted that somebody monitor them, but at the moment, there were other things on her mind.  
  
"Okay, fine", she told them.  
"Just be careful."  
  
"We will!", the twins answered, and bolted towards the living room, where they would leave through the patio door.

* * *

There wasn't much talk as they crossed over to Jumba and Pleakely's night- house. Everybody in the group thought the silence was a bit strange, but none of them were sure what was to be discussed in this situation [the walk over to Jumba]. Once there, they would all demand the doctor tell them what they wanted to know...again, this plan sounded a bit silly, but strength in numbers was the formula.  
The sun was starting to reach it's midpoint in the sky and the grass was still mildly wet with the morning dew. Stitch, Peka, Twyla, and Owen made an attempt to avoid the nasty-feeling wetness, but had to endure the slick, slimy sensation in the end. You could see the shack house from the front door, so the walk over took only about a minute.  
  
It was a one-story house, and held a mere three rooms: two mid-sized bedrooms and a kitchen. It was completely built from wood, but the walls inside had been lined with a cheap cloth-covering. Pleakely would often complain about how it looked, but Jumba [who was less of a metrosexual] seemed quite content about his sleeping place. He spent most of his working in the observatory, anyway.  
From outside, the Experiments could hear some tinkering going on inside of the house. The windows were shut and covered, which led to many suspicious thoughts about what was going on inside.  
Once the four had reached their destination, Stitch [who had been leading them] knocked audibly on the door.  
  
Inside, the sound of manual construction continued.  
Stitch knocked again, this time louder than before.  
  
The sounds inside stopped, and the door opened seconds later, revealing Jumba's face. He looked down at his visitors, and directed obvious suspicion upon himself by saying;  
  
"_I'm not telling you anything!_"  
  
He shut the door quickly.  
  
"Jumba!", Peka called.  
"We need to talk to you!"  
  
"I have nothing to say!", Jumba called back.  
"Leave me be!"  
  
Without hesitation, Stitch threw his weight against the locked door and it cracked open, wooden splinters flying.  
Stitch's action diverted everybody's attention onto himself for a second. Owen was about to ask if something as drastic as that was necessary...but then he [and the others] saw into the room, and saw what Jumba had been working on.  
On a table, amidst a jungle of silver-colored screws and gizmos, lay several revolver-sized pistols, some of which were still being constructed.  
  
All eyes turned to Jumba. His face was frozen in horror, something not seen very often. His mind crossed over all possible reactions, everything from denying the weapons were his to jumping out the window.  
After a moment of stammered silence, Jumba sighed and appealed to his crowd. He looked at Stitch, Owen, Twyla, and Peka, with the air of a POW ready to confess to his captor.  
  
"I believe I have zome explaining to do", he said, in a tone so quiet that it defied his large vocal cords.

* * *

Garon shifted uncomfortably on his feet.  
  
"I don't want to", he said to his brother.  
"Mom and Dad said we're not allowed to go there."  
  
"Come on!", Aron urged eagerly.  
"They won't ever know about it!"  
  
Garon moaned with discomfort and looked at the ground. He knew that they shouldn't go down the hill that led away from the house. He remembered his mother and father telling him that he [and his brother] should never go there alone, and they should not be seen by anybody but their family.  
  
"They're gonna get mad at us", he said.  
  
"Not if they don't find out!", Aron continued to exuberantly.  
"We'll just go down for a while, and come right back up!"  
  
Garon shook his head.  
Aron screwed up his face in frustration He wouldn't admit it to his brother, but he was afraid to venture out by himself.  
Usually, Garon and him were neck-to-neck on all episodes, but if conditions changed, Garon was a bit more cowardly and rule-abiding than himself.  
  
Suddenly, an idea struck him.  
  
"Okay, fine", he said.  
"I wouldn't want to go with a chicken anyway."  
  
That was the action he needed, and it got the reaction he wanted.  
  
"I'm not a chicken!", Garon said audibly.  
"I'm not a chicken!"  
  
"Then prove it!", Aron urged.  
"Come down there with me!"  
  
Even though the thought of disappointing his parents still nagged at his mind, Garon put his pride ahead.  
  
"Fine!", he said.  
"But...but we're coming right back, okay?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, we'll do that!", Aron agreed impatiently.  
"Now let's go!"

* * *

Jumba pulled up a chair for himself and sat down.  
  
"You might vant to take a seat", he said to his crowd.  
"I believe this may take a while."  
  
"Feel free to start with the heavy artillery", Stitch said, and gave the firearms on the table another glance.  
  
Peka, Twyla, and Owen all stared at Jumba in a steadied disbelief, as if they wanted to all say something. The questions of why and how came to mind, and Jumba saw it in their eyes. He sighed to himself and shut his eyes. It didn't bother him too much to know that they had discovered what they had...it was what they would discover that pained him, and what they might think of him. For all of them, he knew that he had been a kind figure. He had been a bit old- fashioned and not all that tolerant, but he had held a special place inside of them. Jumba now wondered how his position could be tarnished.  
  
"Jumba..."  
  
The doctor opened his eyes and looked up. The Experiment who he had always been closest to, Peka, number 327, was looking at him with an expression of prophetic realization, as if his guilty eyes had confessed something secretly.  
She looked at the weapons, and then back at him.  
  
"Is this what I think it is?"  
  
Jumba held his breath, and for a brief second wondered if he could do so until he passed out...but he breathed out heavily and nodded.  
  
"I think we mean ze same thing", he said to her.  
"Experiment 541."  
  
Another barrage of confused expressions hit him, wanting to ask for an explanation but unsure how to.  
Jumba realized how obvious he was being. He knew that he probably could've lied his way out of the situation in the beginning, by making up some excuse about the guns...but, then again, there was a part of him that wished to speak out.  
Jumba sighed again, ready for a confession.  
  
"Vhat do you know?", he asked the Experiments.  
  
"...We know about Experiment 541", Peka said.  
"We now know that he's out there...because that's the only reason for you to have those weapons."  
  
The large alien nodded.  
  
"I take it, you vould like some answers?"  
  
Everybody nodded.  
Jumba leaned forward, his large elbows on his knees.  
  
"Experiment 541 vas my first Experiment that excelled only in fighting", he began.  
"I created him using a newly-developed method...the same I would use to create you two."  
  
He motioned at Stitch and Twyla. Then, he squeezed his eyes shut again, as if he were in pain.  
  
"Oh...", he said in a low moan.  
"If I had known then...what value life could give..."  
  
Twyla leaned forward [everybody had found a seat by now].  
  
"What do you mean, Jumba?", he asked.  
  
"I vas...I didn't know", Jumba stammered.  
"I don't know vhat I vas thinking..."  
  
"What?", the whole room asked him again.  
  
Jumba rested his arms limply in front of him, as if in defeat of a great battle.  
  
"I'm not sure if I should say", he said.  
"I vouldn't vant you too know..."  
  
However, the eyes staring into him spoke differently, and he spoke.  
  
"When I created 541", he began.  
"I knew that I had done something. Experiment 541 was what I had strived for in the beginning."  
  
"What do you mean?", Owen asked, but Jumba went on as if he hadn't heard him.  
  
"541 vas created with a physical well-being that I had never imagined before", he continued.  
"I felt as if I had created my first true success...but I should've known better."  
  
He stopped for a moment, and then went on.  
  
"I vas evil...Experiment 541 vas to be fighting-machine...and that's vhat he was. And vhen I first laid eyes on his completed form...I felt as I vas bringing forth another side of me."  
  
He looked up, at his other creations, who had become as close as family, and there was fear and desperation in his eyes.  
  
"Please-!", he said.  
"Do not think me a monster...vhat I did vas wrong, I know now! It is...unacceptable, yes...but don't....just don't..."  
  
Jumba's eyes caught hold of Stitch's, and he saw a stern expression...that of a parent, who urges his child to confess a theft from the candy store.  
  
"Tell us, Jumba", he said.  
"Please let us know."  
  
Jumba sat quietly for a second...and the continued.  
  
"In all my creations", he said softly.  
"I would never have dreamed of hurting one of you...I thought differently with Experiment 541."  
  
There was the faintest trace of a sob in his voice. He cried of regret, and of things he cursed himself over.  
  
"I thought...I thought that if I made him into vhat vas in my mind...I thought that if I made him into something different from what he was, it vould mean something...so I was vithout mercy on my own child.  
"I vas as cruel to him as a slaver. From the moment he could walk, I submitted him to a torturous training...under my own hand."  
  
Jumba had kept his head down when he said these phrases. He had spoken them as quickly as he could, but now that he had, emotion began to pile up in his chest again.  
He didn't wish to look up and see the faces of the others. He kept his head lowered, ready to continue...  
  
Immediately, as if everybody in the room had just noticed it, there was a loud rapping on the door of the shack house, accompanied by an alarming shouting/crying-noise, fueled by Aron's voice.  
Dropping all matters [like any parents would], Peka and Owen sprang up from the chairs they were in and made for the door in record-speed.  
Flinging it open, they found Aron, clearly in hysterics. He was crying tears and snot, and sobbing words that were barely understandable.  
  
Peka grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him forcefully.  
  
"Aron!", she managed to shout over his frantic crying.  
"What happened? Where's Garon?"  
  
"_G-G-G-Garon!_...", Aron sobbed, trying to [but failing] regain control of himself.  
"_D-D-D-Down th-there...dog! B-big dog!_"  
  
"Where?!", Peka and Owen asked together, urgently.  
"Where is he?!"

* * *

Garon couldn't see clearly; his eyes were clouded with a non-stop flow of tears. He couldn't catch his breath; his sobs were coming too quickly. He was backed against a chipped wooden fence, too high for him to climb. And cornering him, staring at his scared, shaking body, with eyes as evil as the devil's, was a gigantic dog.

* * *

The dog had to have been a vicious crossbreed of some kind; it hinted something between a rotweiler and a saint bernard. He stood about four feet, five inches tall from his paws to his sharp ears, and weighed over one-hundred and eighty pounds. He was a dog bred for ruthless fighting, and he cared nothing for what or who he hurt...and his crosshairs were fixed on the small, terrified figure in front of him.

* * *

Garon felt his legs lose their function in the midst of his fear, and he sank quickly to the ground.  
For a second, he reflected on how quickly it had all happened. He and Aron had decided that it was time for them to head back after their three-minute escape, when the dog had literally leapt out of the jungle. He had bounded straight at Aron, jaws wide, and only missed him barely. Aron had then been able to make a getaway, when the dog had turned his sights on Garon.  
  
Garon looked up at the fence, the sun reflecting in his tears and making him blink. He knew that he could climb walls a bit, but not very well [he wasn't strong enough]. He thought about climbing to the top of the fence, and raised his arm.  
A sharp, threatening growl from the monstrous dog made him curl into a quivering ball. He opened one eye, saw the beast, and shut it again.  
  
"_Mommy_...", he sobbed quietly, his tears of fear still coming down his face.  
  
The dog took a step closer, and Garon wished he had never listened to his brother when he had suggested to venture out of the Pelekai sanctuary. He wished he had stayed at home and played with his toys, and not gone down the dirt path.  
The dog growled again, and Garon thought about death. He had heard about dying, but had no concept of it coming his way...at least not this early in his life.  
His parents had told him that there were no such things as monsters...but the creature that had haunted the various places of the house was standing right in front of him.  
  
"_Daddy...help me, please_..."

* * *

The dog was enjoying the situation. He could feel the intimidation he was creating, and the fear he was inflicting. The sole purpose of this was to prove once again that he alone was the biggest and the best. The dog didn't have rabies, he just enjoyed hurting...and killing.  
He had torn up countless chickens, and attacked many cats...he wondered how this different creature would taste.  
He heard the pathetic whimpering, and smiled to himself. His face still showed the never-faltering evil, but his feeling of fun was still there.  
  
He readied himself to run at the creature and bite it sideways...he felt his first several steps complete their path, bring him close to his prey...!  
  
_BWACK!_  
  
Before the dog knew what hit him, he was thrown sideways, off-balance and nearly to the ground. He felt dizzy, and shook his head vigorously as his canine mind adjusted to what had just happened. He looked towards his attacker, with his yellow-teeth bared...

* * *

Auron cracked his knuckles sharply and rolled his fist. Had he hit the dog full-force, he might've killed it. He hoped that the animal would be scared off, but that was not to be.  
Before looking into the hate-fueled eyes of his adversary, Auron glanced a look at the little guy. He was still curled up by the fence, moving less than any stone statue. His terror was evident to anybody. Auron remembered him as one of the small "Experiments" he had seen while hiding in the bushes. He had followed him and the other small one down the hill, curious about where they were going, with a hunch that it was without permission. He had seen the dog attack, and hoped that the smaller one would run like the other. Instead, he had frozen in fear.  
  
In his glance, the dog took the chance to jump at him. Auron, snapping back to attention, moved aside swiftly [yet smoothly], and punched the dog in the muzzle before he had even touched the ground.  
Again, the dog was thrown off balance. His front legs seemed to fail momentarily, and he stumbled forward clumsily. Once he regained his angry composure, he turned himself back towards the direction of Auron, embarrassed and furious.  
  
"Don't try it again, doggy", Auron warned under his breath.  
  
However, the dog charged forward again, mad with rage. Auron decided to put a quick end to the scuffle, remembering a few maneuvers Riley had taught him. As the dog sprung at him, he dropped low, and the dog flew over him. Aiming precisely, he punched the dog with a fine amount of strength below the twining of the animal's rib cage.  
The effect was a high-pitched whine of pain and a ten-second time-out. The dog fell to the ground, his body bringing forth a cloud of brown dirt and dust.  
  
He limped off after that, with his tail between his legs and whining pitifully.  
Auron smiled at his work before realizing that he wasn't a violence-freak anymore.  
  
Instead, he turned around...and found two bright, wet eyes looking at him.  
The little guy had removed his hands from his eyes, and was staring at his rescuer in a scared type of awe.  
Auron looked back at him. He could tell that the kid was still very shaken up about what was going on...then again, who wouldn't be?  
Auron took a step closer to him, and he felt him shiver with fear. He crouched down on his feet and showed a friendly smile.  
  
"Hey", he said reassuringly.  
"You okay now?"  
  
The child stood silent for a bit, then nodded slowly.  
Auron continued to smile.  
  
"That dog's gone", he said.  
"I don't think he'll be coming back."  
  
The kid nodded again, and so did Auron.  
  
"What's your name?", he asked.  
  
...There was no answer.  
  
"What's your name?", Auron repeated.  
  
Quietly, in a tiny voice, the kid answered.  
  
"...My parents told me not talk to strangers...", he said.  
  
Auron continued to smile and nodded.  
  
"That's good advice", he commented.  
"Your mother's pretty smart, huh?"  
  
...Another nod.  
  
"My name's Auron", he continued.  
"If you wanna tell me your name, we won't be strangers anymore."  
  
In his mind, this seemed very logical to Garon. He sensed that there was some flaw, but he didn't know what it was.  
  
"...My...my name's Garon", he said quietly.  
  
"Garon?", Auron repeated.  
"That's a cool name."  
  
Garon actually felt a bit better when this was said. He began feeling a bit better about his rescuer.  
He meant to get up, but felt a sharp stab of pain in his calf. He looked down, and saw an audible wound in his leg, seeping blood onto his fur.  
Garon's breath quickened in panic. He was an individual who couldn't stand seeing blood, and seeing it on himself was overly upsetting.  
  
"_Ohhh_...", he moaned quietly, tears filling his eyes again.  
  
He wanted to look away, but the open wound held his gaze like a magnet. Lumps of anxiety built up in his chest, and got ready to burst...  
Then, Auron's clawed hand covered up the sight.  
  
"You hurt yourself pretty bad", he said, applying pressure to the blood- flow.  
"...Look, you sat on this stone."  
  
He held it up. It was particularly jagged, and had a few traces of fresh blood on it.  
  
"Don't look at it", he advised.  
"Look up at me if you want to."  
  
Garon did so, and he was very scared.  
  
"Am I going to die now?", he asked, his voice quivering.  
  
Auron chuckled friendily.  
  
"No, you're not gonna die", he assured Garon.  
"As soon as you get up to the house, your parents can fix you right up...you do live at the big house up the road, don't you?"  
  
Garon nodded and sniffled.  
  
"Yes, that's where I live...where do you live?"  
  
"I don't really live anywhere", Auron said.  
"Well, I do, but I'm just traveling around right now...I live in Mana. That's on another island."  
  
Garon nodded collectively.  
  
"Why're you traveling around?", he asked.  
  
"You're being pretty open", Auron inquired with a smile.  
"Are you sure your parents would find it okay if you were discussing things with me?"  
  
Garon sat quietly for a few seconds...before saying;  
  
"They didn't say I couldn't talk to my friends."  
  
He looked into Auron's face.  
  
"...Are you my friend?"  
  
"Do you want me to be your friend?", Auron asked him.  
  
"...Yeah", Garon answered, finally showing a smile.  
  
"Okay!", Auron said happily, feeling better than he had in months.  
"You and me, we'll be friends."  
  
Garon smile widened...and then he and Auron looked around, towards the sound of approaching footsteps; running towards them.  
  
(A/N: finally, it's done!...I'll admit that I've been feeling a bit lazy here, but I plan to continue. I apologize if this chapter is so long that it seems awkward...I'm starting school again tomorrow, and I wanted to finish before I went to bed.  
By the way, the scenario of Aron and Garon getting attacked by the dog [and Auron rescuing them] was a suggestion by Beboots. Thanks for the idea!)


	5. Confusion

Love and Burden  
  
by The Great Red Dragon  
  
***  
  
Chapter 5  
  
***  
  
Peka scooped up Garon in her arms and hugged him tightly.  
  
"Oh God!", she said, oblivious to anything but her child.  
  
"Garon, I'm so glad you're alright! Aron told us-"  
  
She noticed that he was had his hand pressed firmly over a spot on his right thigh, which was circled in dark blood.  
  
"What happened to you?!"  
  
She tried to lift his hand to inspect the wound, but he refused to move it.  
  
"Mo-om!", he said loudly, once he could get the words out.  
  
"I have to keep my hand over it! Auron said so!"  
  
Peka looked at him.  
  
"Auron?", she asked.  
  
"Who's Aur-"  
  
Then, she too caught sight of who everybody else [Stitch, Owen, and Twyla] was looking at.  
  
It was undeniably another Experiment, and of the same branch as themselves. He was roughly their standard size, and had an aqua-marine color of fur, comparable to Stitch's and Owen's. His ears were somewhat shorter than Stitch's, and had no slits in them. Large, dark eyes stood out from his face, with a light touch of green to them.  
  
Most noticeably, there were several scars visible on his anatomy. The most audible was a large slit vertically across his right shoulder. All in all, he showed signs of wear and tear everywhere.  
  
***  
  
Auron considered turning and running. All these new sets of eyes staring at him, with an expression that he couldn't read. Was it fear, awe, or disgust?  
  
But his feet didn't want to move. He felt a fascination for the new faces, even though it was slightly jaded by both anxiety and fear.  
  
The female crouched by Garon was of a beautiful emerald color with stripes down her back; she was the one he had seen in the yard the day before.  
  
Garon wriggled out of his mother's grasp and pointed.  
  
"That's Auron, Mom!", he informed her.  
  
"He saved me from the dog!"  
  
He looked over to Auron.  
  
"Right?"  
  
Auron did nothing...but finally nodded, and forced a small smile.  
  
"Yeah...", he said shortly, and very quietly.  
  
Garon indicated at Peka.  
  
"This is my mom", he informed Auron, then motioning towards the others.  
  
"And that's my dad, and that's Twyla, and that's Stitch!"  
  
There came an awkward silence that Garon didn't understand. While the two stranger parties stared at each other, he looked from one to the other, while trying to figure out what was going on.  
  
Finally, Peka stood up. She did so cautiously, as if not yet sure about the unknown Experiment.  
  
He looked back at her, in wonder and anticipation for what was going to happen.  
  
"..."  
  
Peka attempted to say something but the words wouldn't come at first. She closed her mouth again, swallowed determinedly, and managed.  
  
"...Did you really save my son?", she asked the Experiment.  
  
Auron looked back at her, and nodded slowly.  
  
"Yes...I did", he answered.  
  
Peka nodded as well...and smiled slightly.  
  
"Thank you", she said to him.  
  
"Thank you for saving my baby."  
  
"...You're welcome", Auron answered with a small returning-smile.  
  
Peka reached behind herself, and pulled out the cracked, damaged CD-player.  
  
"Is this yours?"  
  
Auron nodded.  
  
"Yes...I'm sorry I left it."  
  
Peka nodded...and proceeded with the question that everybody wanted to know the answer to.  
  
"Are you...Experiment 541?"  
  
Auron looked back at her and nodded.  
  
*********  
  
Inside the shackhouse, Jumba had stashed the silver-colored weapons out of sight. On an ancient hot-plate, he prepared a mug of hot chocolate for Aron, who had been left behind. He [Aron] sat on a high-stool, and watched as Jumba prepared his drink, anxiety and fear still in his mind.  
  
"Don't worry", Jumba said to him.  
  
"They'll be back any second."  
  
Aron wrung his hands nervously.  
  
"What if something happened?", he asked worriedly.  
  
"What if the dog..."  
  
Jumba wrapped a cooling cloth around the base of the mug and lifted it from the hot-plate.  
  
"I'm sure zat everything will be alright", he said in assurance, carrying the finished sweet over to the youngling.  
  
"Your brother will be alright, I'm sure."  
  
Aron accepted the steamy beverage and blew on it, sending the slivers of steam into the direction he had blown.  
  
"I wish I hadn't asked him to go down there", he said remorsefully.  
  
"Mom and Dad said never to go there..."  
  
"Come now", Jumba said and leaned against the table.  
  
"It iz not your fault...vell, you shouldn't have disobeyed your parents, but..."  
  
He sighed once, and tried to find the correct words.  
  
"Just don't worry", he said simply.  
  
"Your brother will be fine."  
  
Aron nodded weakly and sipped at the hot drink. It tasted a bit sweeter than he would've preferred...but then again, it had been prepared by Jumba, who was a bit of a sugar-addict.  
  
Just then, the door of the shackhouse opened and Owen appeared.  
  
"Dad!"  
  
Aron jumped down from the stool, and almost spilt his drink in the process. He ran over to his father and grabbed his hand.  
  
"Is he alright? Is he okay?", he asked Owen, tugging at his limb.  
  
"Aron!", Owen said loudly, and withdrew his arm with some difficulty.  
  
Then, he realized how his son must've been feeling about the situation, and gently rested a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"He's okay", he said calmly.  
  
"We brought him back to the house...I think you'd better come with."  
  
Aron nodded and allowed his father to prod him out the door.  
  
Jumba stepped towards them uneasily.  
  
"Is zhere something I can do?", he asked tentatively.  
  
Owen turned to face him.  
  
"I...I think you'd better wait here a while", he said to him.  
  
"We'll, uh...just wait a minute, okay?"  
  
Owen stepped out of the house and closed the door behind him.  
  
"What happened?", Aron asked again, as he and Owen began to walk up the road towards the house.  
  
"D-did anything...what happened?"  
  
Owen sighed heavily.  
  
"I don't really know either, kiddo", he answered honestly.  
  
"All I know is...well, let's just say that your brother brought home a new friend."  
  
***  
  
In the bathroom, sitting on the closed lid of the toilet, Garon cringed as his mother sprayed his wound with a sanitizing solution. He looked away as she applied a butterfly band aid and bound it with a roll of medical bandage.  
  
"Come on", she said with a smile.  
  
"It isn't that bad."  
  
She washed her hands at the sink while Garon inspected the dressings gingerly. Then, she leaned towards him and hugged him lovingly.  
  
"You're very brave", she told him, and kissed the top of his furry head.  
  
"Mom...", he moaned in slight embarrassment, but didn't object to the affection.  
  
Just then, the closed bathroom door was opened, and Aron and Owen walked in.  
  
"Garon!", Aron cried as he caught sight of brother, and ran up and threw his arms around him.  
  
"Aron-!", Garon exclaimed as he was almost knocked off the toilet seat, with his brother nearly throttling in his hug.  
  
"I thought the dog was going to get you!", Aron said, and there was a trace of tears in his voice.  
  
"I'm sorry I called a chicken, and I'm sorry I made you come with me! You could've been eaten-!"  
  
With a slight assistance from his parents, Garon managed to regain his balance, and gave his brother a friendly squeeze before prying himself loose.  
  
"I'm okay", he assured Aron.  
  
"It's not your fault."  
  
He looked around at his parents.  
  
"Can we go downstairs?",, he asked.  
  
Peka looked at Owen [and vice-versa], and they both nodded.  
  
"Can you walk?", Owen asked Garon, extending a helping hand.  
  
"No, I'm fine", Garon said confidently.  
  
He jumped off of the toilet...and found his stance to be a bit shaky. He looked up and grinned sheepishly.  
  
"...Maybe I'll use some help when I go down the stairs."  
  
The four of them made their way out into the hall and towards the stairs. In support, Aron gripped his brother's hand safely while he himself [Garon] took hold of the banister-railing. As they neared the bottom, Aron remembered a question that had been in his mind.  
  
"...Who did you bring home?", he asked Garon.  
  
Garon smiled.  
  
"He saved me from the dog", he stated proudly.  
  
"His name's Auron, and he's sitting in the living room."  
  
Aron looked at his brother quizzically.  
  
"He's here?", he repeated.  
  
"Yeah", Garon said.  
  
He led Aron into the bedroom, and pointed out his new friend.  
  
***  
  
Stitch was feeling a bit doubtful as he prepared a cold, fruity refreshment for their new guest. He wasn't sure if he doubted the Experiment's integrity, or doubting if he actually was 541, but whatever it was, it was disconcerting.  
  
Still, he was also a bit wary about if this was the Experiment 541. From the stories he had heard, 541 sounded like a rough fellow, and demanded caution.  
  
He added the crushed ice, various pieces of fruit, and light sugar to a tall glass, which equated into an exotic fruit-slushy. To top it off, he added a straw and a twirly-umbrella.  
  
Lilo was already off to school, and Nani had gone out somewhere, and they did not yet know about the new Experiment. Stitch prophesized their reactions [at least Nani's] when they came home later that day and discovered the new Experiment.  
  
He picked up the completed delicacy and made out of the kitchen and into the living room.  
  
***  
  
541 had been offered to sit on the couch. He was trying to seem as pleasant and polite as possible, but was sure that his uncertainty and embarrassment was evident.  
  
He looked over, and saw Garon come towards him, accompanied by his brother, who had fled the scene back with the dog. He looked very surprised and unsure about the new visitor, and Auron couldn't blame him. He didn't feel too comfortable himself in his position, but he felt a bit better when Garon climbed onto the sofa next to him.  
  
"Comfy?", he asked him friendlily.  
  
Auron nodded with a smile.  
  
"You've got a very nice house", he commented.  
  
He sat back, and tried not to stare at the Experiment sitting across from him in an armchair. It was a female, the one with the swelling stomach. Auron imagined that she was pregnant. Then he began to wonder if that was even possible...well, there were two mature males running around the place, and he doubted that anything besides them...well, you get the picture.  
  
He snapped back to reality when one of the guy-Experiments approached him, carrying an icy glass in one hand.  
  
"Here", he said, and handed it to Auron.  
  
"Thank you", Auron said, taking the glass from him.  
  
While the male Experiment sat down, Auron politely took a sip from his beverage, and noted that it was remarkably good.  
  
Before long, what seemed to be all of the Experiments had gathered in the living room. The four adults all sat across from Auron, the other child included. In fact, it seemed that only Garon himself wasn't wary about his presence. For this, Auron felt a feeling of gratitude towards the little guy.  
  
***  
  
Peka wasn't sure what to say. She could see that Garon was completely content with the presence of the newest Experiment, and tried to serene herself with that very thought. But even with that in mind, she was still somewhat uneasy.  
  
Peka glanced a look at the others sitting close to her, and it seemed as if they were thinking the same thing.  
  
But she was determined to be polite, and shifted her gaze back to the Experiment ["Auron", she reminded herself, as Garon had said].  
  
"...I'd like to thank you for saving my son", she said to him.  
  
"You...you saved his life."  
  
The Experiment ["Auron", she reminded herself] smile casually.  
  
"Hey", he said good-naturedly.  
  
"He was in trouble...that's what you do when somebody's in trouble."  
  
Peka nodded with a smile of her own.  
  
"I don't think we've introduced ourselves properly", she said.  
  
"My name is Peka."  
  
She motioned down the line of her comrades sitting next to her.  
  
"And this is Owen, Twyla, and Stitch."  
  
The three of them made some motion as their name was announced. Owen raised his hand weakly, Twyla smiled shortly, and Stitch nodded.  
  
Peka motioned to Garon, who had squeezed in next to her in the armchair.  
  
"And this is Aron", she said.  
  
Aron was still to unsure about it all to make any type of gesture. Instead, he looked away.  
  
Auron smiled at all of them.  
  
"My name's Auron", he said, refreshing their memories.  
  
"It's awfully nice of you to let me into your house."  
  
Peka nodded.  
  
"You're welcome...well, it's not our house. It's in Nani's name, but we all live here."  
  
Auron's ears perked.  
  
"You live with humans?", he asked, with surprise evident in his voice.  
  
Peka nodded.  
  
"Yeah", she said.  
  
"...It's kind of a long story, though."  
  
"I live with humans too!", Auron said, with the air of this being the latest trend or fashion.  
  
"It's a long story, too", he added.  
  
There followed a very brief silence, which was broken by Owen;  
  
"Okay, so who goes first?"  
  
Everybody sitting laughed.  
  
*********  
  
Jumba paced hastily back and forth around the main room of the shackhouse. He had accidentally knocked over the table with one of his huge, worried strides, but hadn't yet bothered to pick anything up.  
  
He was still concerned about Garon, but he had been somewhat alarmed about the way Owen had acted at the door.  
  
Had it something to do with Experiment 541?  
  
Jumba thought to himself that he was just being paranoid, but the lingering worry would not leave him.  
  
Behind him, the door opened, and the doctor jumped higher than his physical stature should've allowed.  
  
But it turned out to be only Pleakley, who screamed at the sudden motion and fell over as the floor jarred violently below him.  
  
"Oh!", Jumba said in embarrassment.  
  
"What did you do that for?!", Pleakley exclaimed in his high-pitched voice.  
  
"Wherever I go, there's somebody out to kill me! First it's a café', then the ocean, then in my own house! I'm going to move away!"  
  
He picked himself up friskily and scuttled angrily passed Jumba.  
  
"Sorry...", the large alien mumbled.  
  
"Oh yeah! Everybody's sorry!", Pleakley said loudly.  
  
"You can say a lot, but you can't appreciate me!"  
  
Jumba allowed Pleakley to talk [shout] himself out for several minutes, until he silenced himself with a kind of miffed irritation. Everything was alright again.  
  
Jumba felt safe enough now to question the situation.  
  
"How iz the little one?", he asked.  
  
"You mean Garon?", Pleakley asked.  
  
"Oh, he's fine. Just a scratch. What's more is our visitor."  
  
Jumba's eyes lifted.  
  
"Vizitor?"  
  
"Yep", Pleakley said.  
  
"Believe it, it's another one of your little Experiments. They turn up a lot, huh?"  
  
He turned around and began moving about the cabin, straightening up the knocked-over table by obligation. He was unaware that Jumba had gone as pale as a grave.  
  
"Yeah, he's sitting in the living room now", Pleakley went on.  
  
"As usual, nobody told me, so I was just coming down the stairs and saw them all on the seats and sofa. Well, they were pretty wrapped up in their conversation, so I just-"  
  
He kept on talking, unaware that Jumba had left the shackhouse.  
  
*********  
  
"Well, their story must be pretty boring", thought Auron, as looks of awe and bewilderment came his way upon the completion of his life's story.  
  
Even Aron had squeezed himself into view from beside his mother to get a better look at the tale-teller. Peka, Stitch, Twyla, and Owen all looked in on fascination to Auron's narration of his existence from lab to Hawaii.  
  
Garon was the first to speak.  
  
"Wow!", he said in great advisement.  
  
"You did all that?"  
  
Auron smiled at him and nodded.  
  
"Yeah...I did."  
  
While he said this, the others sitting in the chairs [except Aron] were experiencing a rage of thoughts.  
  
Auron had told them a magnificent story, and though they all felt that they should be enthralled about every part, their minds were painfully focused on one crucial collection of facts.  
  
Auron had accurately described the birth process that all live Experiments went through...but there was something different about Auron's account.  
  
Although Stitch didn't remember much about his birth, the others did [their ways of creation]. Peka had been set under a comfortable blue-light until her body began to function properly. Twyla had been set inside a chemical bath that plenished body to a healthy state. Owen had woken up, seen Jumba bending over him, and had immediately tried to eat the collar of his lab coat.  
  
From then on, their lives in the lab had been pretty good.  
  
But Auron...  
  
From the moment he could walk, Jumba had toiled, punished, and tortured him. His life in the lab was more like life in a dungeon...and when it seemed that his life hadn't been worth enough, he was to be killed.  
  
Murdered.  
  
Peka blinked. This wasn't the Jumba she knew.  
  
She looked at both of hr children, and saw that they had been too enthralled in the adventurous parts of the tale to be worried about Jumba.  
  
"Auron?", she said quietly.  
  
"Yes?", Auron asked.  
  
Peka swallowed.  
  
"...Are you sure you're talking about Jumba?", she asked him.  
  
"Is it possible that it was somebody else?"  
  
Auron looked confused for a moment...then shook his head.  
  
"Nope", he said.  
  
"That was Jumba alright."  
  
"Are you sure?", Peka asked again.  
  
"Maybe it was just another one of his species, with the same first name."  
  
"His full name was Jumba Ulam Jookiba", Auron stated.  
  
"It said so on his lab coat."  
  
He looked at the other Experiments.  
  
"Why do you ask?", he wanted to know.  
  
"How did you escape?"  
  
There was silence. It's uncertain what kind of silence it was, but it was silence nonetheless.  
  
This silence was broken by a sound at the window. Everybody's eyes had been diverted to the source...but there was nothing there. Only the remaining feeling that whatever had caused the noise had fled.  
  
"What was that?", Auron asked, craning his neck.  
  
"...Probably just a cat", Peka said.  
  
Auron seemed content with the answer, but a feeling of dread was welling up in Peka's, Stitch's, Twyla's, and Owen's bellies.  
  
*********  
  
As swiftly as his large body would allow, Jumba raced back to the shackhouse.  
  
"541!", somebody screamed over and over in his mind.  
  
"541! 541! 541!"  
  
*********  
  
Later that night, Auron arose from the couch and entered the hallways. The night cast deep-blue shadows upon the wall that identified a house he wasn't familiar with.  
  
In short, everything had been cleared. Nani and Lilo were now content with his presence to a point that was almost strange. It seemed as if they were expecting a new Experiment to drop in at any time, but they were courteous nonetheless.  
  
Lilo reminded Auron a lot about Rebecca. They almost looked the same, although it seemed as if Lilo had a more sophisticated mind that Rebecca.  
  
"Maybe that comes from living with so many Experiments", Auron thought to himself.  
  
She had actually made him laugh when she had presented him with an outlined sketch of himself, and an almost non-existent 'color-in' inside that indicated his 'badness-level': extremely low.  
  
He laughed in his mind as he thought of this, but not on his face. He still felt very unsure about his hosts...almost as if they were hiding something from him.  
  
Then again, he had just found out that he was not the only Experiment alive in existence, so perhaps that was the case.  
  
Whatever it was, Auron felt the need to talk...and he headed towards the phone.  
  
***  
  
He was a bit anxious as he pressed in the numbered buttons of Riley's home phone-number. He looked over his shoulder once to see if anybody was watching, found nobody, and turned back to the phone, the dead of night falling in upon him.  
  
The phone rang twice...surprisingly less than the usual, but it was indeed Riley who answered.  
  
"Hello?", he said in a very sleepy voice, as if he had just gotten up from bed to answer the phone.  
  
"Riley?", Auron said.  
  
Immediately, Riley's voice perked enthusiastically.  
  
"Auron!", he exclaimed over the slight static of the phone.  
  
"My God, how are you?"  
  
"I dunno...", Auron answered dully.  
  
"I got your message", Riley continued.  
  
"I'm really sorry I wasn't there that night; there was a fest going on by the beach and I took Lara and Rebecca."  
  
"Don't worry", Auron said.  
  
"Just as long as you had fun."  
  
"I wish you could've been there", Riley said, with a trace of sadness in his voice.  
  
"You would've really liked it...especially when one of the flare-dancers set the stage on fire."  
  
"Yeah", Auron replied with a slight smile.  
  
"Sounds like my kind of thing."  
  
"I got to help put out the fire", Riley added.  
  
"It ended up getting real crazy, so we left pretty quickly."  
  
Then, as if realizing he had done something wrong, he quickly said;  
  
"But enough of what I did; how're you doing?"  
  
Auron was about to say something like "Sucks like Hell" [it would've been out of reflex], but stopped himself as he remembered the current events.  
  
"...I've been going through an unusual time", he said at a failure of words.  
  
A short silence followed at Riley's end...before he finally answered.  
  
"What do you mean?", he asked curiously.  
  
"Where are you?"  
  
"I'm on Kauai", Auron answered; identifying the island he was on.  
  
"By the ocean...but I think that's the least of my worries."  
  
"C'mon, Auron!", Riley urged.  
  
"Tell me what's happening!"  
  
Auron looked around himself, noticing how paranoid he was becoming as they delved deeper into the conversation.  
  
"You remember all that I told you about Jumba, and he stuff that happened back on Turo?", he asked, placing the receiver back to his mouth.  
  
"Yeah...", Riley said slowly at the other end.  
  
"Well", Auron continued.  
  
"I always thought I was the only one...but I was wrong."  
  
He was ready to launch into all that he knew and all that he had found out...but then, he picked up the sound of approaching footsteps coming down the stairs.  
  
"Damn!", he hissed under his breath.  
  
"Riley!", he said quickly and urgently.  
  
"I'll have to call you back!"  
  
"What?!", Riley said from the other end as Auron lowered the receiver upon the phone.  
  
"Auron, what-"  
  
*click*  
  
Auron stepped away from the telephone, just soon enough to see Peka come into view.  
  
***  
  
She caught sight of him as well, and reacted with a bit of surprise.  
  
"Oh!", she said.  
  
"Auron-!.........I didn't know you were up!"  
  
"Neither did I!", he Auron said, almost sounding overly suspicious.  
  
An awkward silence was experienced, in which neither Experiment looked at the other. Then, Peka noticed that he was standing close to the phone.  
  
"Did you want to call someone?", she asked him.  
  
"Me?", Auron said innocently.  
  
"No, I was just...going to the bathroom."  
  
"The bathroom's in the other direction", Peka told him.  
  
"I just finished", Auron replied.  
  
Peka furrowed her brow unnoticeably [to Auron]. She didn't buy this story, but wasn't too concerned about the whole thing. She understood how Auron must've been feeling, and realized that he was still very jumpy around his new comrades.  
  
"Well", she said.  
  
"I was going to get something to eat...you want something too?"  
  
Auron was about to lie in courtesy, but his sudden rumbling of the stomach gave him away.  
  
"Maybe just a bit", he said with a smile.  
  
Peka smiled back at him.  
  
"Sure", she said, leading him towards the kitchen.  
  
"Let's go."  
  
*********  
  
Under the nightly bulb of the lamp, Peka pulled two Tupperware-sealed sandwiches out of the freezer while Auron took a seat at the table.  
  
"Not all of Owen's sandwiches are bad", she told him as she closed the fridge behind her, and climbed onto a chair across from him.  
  
She opened the box with a popping noise and handed a sandwich to Auron.  
  
"Don't eat it if you don't like it", she said to him.  
  
"I just happen to think that chow mein and egg-salad taste good together...as crazy as it sounds."  
  
"It's pretty good", Auron commented honestly after he had taken a bite out of his cold sandwich.  
  
Peka nodded in relief and pulled out another sandwich [chicken and soy mustard]. She took a tiny bite out of a corner and chewed quietly along with Auron.  
  
For a few minutes, the two of them sat silently, munching away at their midnight snacks, while serious thoughts pressed through their minds.  
  
Peka noted a strange feeling that she felt around Auron...a feeling that she had known him before that day, a long time ago.  
  
Somehow, she found it easy to be in his presence. She felt that she remembered him from somewhere.  
  
Peka wasn't sure that Auron felt the same way, so she kept her mouth shut about it. Instead, she inquired other questions.  
  
"How's the sandwich?", she asked, dumbly noticing that she had asked the question before.  
  
"Very good", Auron commented politely.  
  
In her mind, Peka's conscious jumped to another perspective.  
  
In all her life, ever since she had been created, Jumba had been almost a father-figure to her, as well as all the other Experiments that had allowed him. She knew he was a little pompous and irritable, but always thought of him as a great person, and her great creator.  
  
But now, here sat a creature who had told a story of cruel hardship and attempted murder involving the same person she loved so much. From what Auron said, Jumba Jookiba was nothing more than a profit-hungry demon with a life-deaf for others.  
  
She had wanted to believe that he had been lying, but something in her mind assured her naggingly that he was telling the truth.  
  
But, in a sense, it also made sense logically. Peka had never wondered why Jumba had gone to the trouble to create a full 626 Experiments...but it seemed so indefinitely clear that he had something in mind for their use.  
  
Auron had been an achievement, and he was put through Hell for it.  
  
Now, she wondered, what if she too had been considered an achievement?  
  
***  
  
The stress bubbled in her mind so harshly that she clutched her forehead roughly.  
  
"Are you alright?", Auron asked with concern and sat up.  
  
Peka opened her eyes. She saw Auron, and felt a strange, dark feeling towards him. It wasn't hate, and neither was it non-hate. It was a feeling that she couldn't see him anymore or else she'd go crazy.  
  
"I've got to go", she said quickly, jumping off of her chair.  
  
"Back to bed..."  
  
"You sure you're alright?", Auron asked again.  
  
"Are you hurt?"  
  
"No, I'm fine", Peka insisted.  
  
"I'm going back to bed...good night."  
  
And she scrambled out of the kitchen, feeling Auron's green-tinged eyes watching her. She felt a relief as she rounded the corner out of the kitchen, but felt the tension in her head increase as she ran up the stairs and back into the darkened bedroom, where Owen was sleeping softly.  
  
*********  
  
Auron stood where he was for a minute, listening to Peka retreat hastily as if he was carrying a deadly disease. He wondered if he had done or said something wrong. Then again, he hadn't said or done anything besides eat the sandwich, but he still felt very confused.  
  
Carefully, with the air of a person who felt lost and confused, he put the two remaining sandwiches back into the Tupperware box and set it back to it's previous spot in the refrigerator.  
  
While turning all the lights back off, he returned to the couch and laid back down. He didn't know what was going on, but he felt more suspicious than ever. He didn't want to be in anymore trouble, but it seemed that he was heading in that direction.  
  
It took him a long time to fall asleep, but even when he did, he was not about to receive rest.  
  
*********  
  
[A/N: FINALLY!!!  
  
I can't tell y'all how sorry I am about me taking this long to type up this chapter. I believe I caught a case of Writer's Block for a while, but I hope that's passed by now.  
  
Forgive me if this chapter seems too widely-spaced and uneven, as well as unclear in some of the scenes; I wanted to finish this tonight, or else I'd be spending another month on this.  
  
As a minor note, I mentioned in a previous a comment about Pleakley being a metrosexual. To clear up anything, metrosexuality is different from homosexuality. Metrosexuality refers to an orientation in which the male will be more concerned about clothes and cosmetics than some think he should be.  
  
I'm sure I'll get the next chapter done much quicker. I hope so...  
  
See ya!] 


	6. Jumba's Story

[A/N: before beginning, I'd like to point out that a fair part of this chapter is taken up just by Jumba speaking. Expect a long article of pure text, and don't be confused by it]  
  
*********  
  
Love and Burden  
  
by The Great Red Dragon  
  
***  
  
Chapter 6  
  
***  
  
"In the forest pitch dark,  
  
Grows the tiniest spark  
  
It bursts into a flame,  
  
Like me, like me"  
  
'Isobel', Bjork  
  
*********  
  
It was dark, and cold enough to suggest a windy winter night.  
  
Auron tried to sit up, but he couldn't. He looked around himself, and saw that he was strapped by his wrists and ankles to an operation. He tried to cry out, but he was unable to make a sound.  
  
Then, a shrieking sound that resembled a guitar at his right startled him abruptly. In the distance, walking in some kind of lasting light, were three figures coming towards him. As they got closer, he saw that they were all considerably tall, and wearing long, black cloaks and hoods.  
  
Auron struggled desperately against his bindings, but an unrelenting feeling of agonizing fear was spreading throughout his body. He squeezed his eyes shut, thrashing with all his might against the binds that held him, but to no avail.  
  
When he opened his eyes again, the three figures were standing above him. They had lowered their hoods, and Auron saw to his horror three Predators before him, identical to the one he had fought with.  
  
One of them raised his arm, and a pronged pitchfork-like weapon appeared from within his sleeve.  
  
"No", another Pred hissed coldly.  
  
"Let the Dragon deal with him."  
  
All of them back away from Auron simultaneously. They vanished into the darkness, and Auron looked around himself in panic.  
  
Then, as if in slow motion, he saw something at his feet. Something huge and spiny-looking was crawling onto the table.  
  
Auron realized in horror that it was a gigantic scorpion, completely silver as if it had been drenched in liquid metal. The creature had no features on its head whatsoever, exempt from two blade-like pincers.  
  
The scorpion loomed over Auron, who felt ready to explode with a scream building up in his throat.  
  
The scorpion raised one of its giant claws, and Auron screamed. The scorpion brought down its lethal appendage swiftly, ready to slice Auron in half-  
  
***  
  
Auron fell off of the couch with a thud. But even his sudden impact didn't scare away his dream fast enough.  
  
"No!!!", he shouted chokingly, and sat up straight.  
  
His fear caused a gasp and a scream from a certain audience that had been watching him. He opened his eyes, and found Aron and Garon backing away from him slowly.  
  
Immediately, his anxiety was replaced by a feeling of foolishness.  
  
He shook his head dully and looked back up at the surprised duo.  
  
"'Morning", he muttered, friendlily enough.  
  
The twins stopped moving away from him. Garon seemed relieved and back to normal now that everything seemed okay.  
  
"Good morning!", he greeted in return.  
  
Auron smiled and glanced at the nearby clock on the wall. It was 7:35.  
  
"What're you two doing up so early anyway?", he asked them, while picking himself up from the floor.  
  
For a moment, Aron and Garon looked confused at the question [to them, 7:35 AM wasn't at all early], but Garon finally answered;  
  
"We, uh, wanted to see if you were up."  
  
Auron nodded and settled himself back on the couch.  
  
"Well, I am now", he stated obviously.  
  
"How long have you been watching me?", he added.  
  
"Not very long", Garon answered.  
  
Then, he felt the need to ask the obvious.  
  
"Did you have a bad dream?"  
  
Auron groaned and sat back, his feet dangling over the edge of the sofa.  
  
"Yeah", he answered lazily, before lying;  
  
"Just a buncha stupid stuff I didn't understand."  
  
Garon blinked in understanding.  
  
"Aron once had a bad dream too", he added informatively, motioning towards his brother next to him.  
  
"He woke up screaming and hit me in the face with a pillow-"  
  
"Shut up!", Aron mumbled, with embarrassment evident in his voice.  
  
"What?", Garon asked.  
  
"It's not as bad as the time you wet the bed-"  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
Auron chuckled as he watched a small scuffle build up; he liked these two kids.  
  
"Hey, c'mon", he said abruptly, preventing a shoving-match.  
  
"If you really think you're both so tough, why don't you try to take me down?"  
  
Aron was a bit unsure of this. Garon, however, saw a chance to play and pounced upon Auron, who fell over playfully.  
  
"Oh, he speared me!", he commentated artfully as Garon giggled before jumping him again.  
  
Aron saw the two of them wrestling around ["The armbar! I give, I give!"], and couldn't help but realize how fun of a guy this Auron may be.  
  
He didn't have much time to think, as Garon pulled him into the 'fight', and they double-teamed their new friend.  
  
"Hey, two-on-one isn't fair!", Auron said as they pinned him down.  
  
"Go pick on somebody your own size!"  
  
Garon and his brother laughed out loud as they playfully wrestled with their newest comrade. Already they liked Auron, and liked the fact that he liked them as well.  
  
It felt good to have a friend. They both knew that the others were their friends as well [except for Owen and Peka, who counted as 'parents'], but it felt special to have a buddy outside of their Ohana.  
  
*********  
  
Peka heard the playful action from the top of the stairs and smiled to herself.  
  
When she had gotten up not too long ago, the mixed emotions of the night before were still lingering in her mind. She had been wary about going downstairs and facing Auron, and afraid of she may feel then. But now, as she heard Auron peacefully playing with her children, a large number of her worries were melted away.  
  
However, some worries were still strong in her mind. They did involve Auron, but included Jumba as well.  
  
Quietly, she made her way down the stairs. She slid past the living room without being seen, and exited the house through the front door without a sound.  
  
As she walked down the stairs onto the driveway, the same quiet contentness that Auron was alright was what was keeping her nerves from boiling over again. She had remembered everything Jumba had told her about what he did to 541, and it was all backed up by Auron's words.  
  
And the only question she wanted answered was 'why?'.  
  
Peka hoped that if she was alone in her confrontation of Jumba, the tension wouldn't ride on top of him as much if they all were there. Perhaps she'd get the answer only in that way.  
  
***  
  
She tapped lightly on the door of the shackhouse. From inside, she heard Jumba answer in a tone that seemed almost too weak to fit his proud, mighty voice.  
  
"Come in..."  
  
Peka silently noted the deep sadness evident in his voice. She was unsure what she should feel for him, now that she knew what he had done. She didn't want to hate him...but she wondered if it would be just to feel anything else about him.  
  
Peka pushed the door open, and the light streaming in from the outside illuminated the room which had before been dark.  
  
She looked around, and found Jumba sitting on a stool in a corner that had not yet been struck by light. He looked up as she caught sight of him, and his eyes showed dark rings that indicated a loss of sleep.  
  
Quietly, she stepped inside and closed the door behind her, entrapping the darkness once more. Her eyes and Jumba's remained in contact as she walked slowly over to him and pulled up a stool for herself. As she sat down, it occurred to her eerie the dark scene was....but there was no reason to be afraid.  
  
"Hey...", she greeted somberly.  
  
Jumba nodded to her and lowered his head slowly and sadly.  
  
"Tell me", he whispered.  
  
"Do you hate me now?"  
  
"I don't know", Peka answered in the same dark neutrality with which she had entered.  
  
"I don't really know what to think."  
  
The large alien nodded back at her.  
  
"I dezerve to be hated", he said miserably.  
  
"I dezerve much worse than that...I realize that what I did cannot be matched easily."  
  
He looked up at Peka...and for the first time in all her memory, she saw tears in his eyes.  
  
"I vish I could take back everyzhing I did to Experiment 541", he said.  
  
"I vish I could take back every bad zhing I ever did in my life...I never zhougt I could allow to let happen..."  
  
Peka nodded at him and said;  
  
"That's why I'm here."  
  
"Vhat do you mean?", Jumba asked her.  
  
"I want to know why you did it", she answered solemnly.  
  
"Whoever did that to 541 was not the Jumba that I knew and loved....who I still know and love."  
  
She sighed and re-settled herself on the chair.  
  
"I can't hate you, Jumba", she said in realization.  
  
"You gave me my life, and I'm forever-grateful for that...but I need to know why you did that to another creature you gave life to. Trust me, I'm not going to judge you on it, but I need to know why."  
  
Jumba swallowed a sob in his throat and nodded. He sat back slightly, and tried to sigh away some of the empty feeling inside him.  
  
Slowly, he began.  
  
***  
  
"In zhe beginning, vhen I vhas still lead-scientist of Galaxy Defense Industries, I vhas given a chance to contribute to zhe Grand Council vith zhe creation of something new and extraordinary.  
  
Experiment number 1 began as a contribution to zhe Grand Council, but zhey viewed it as dangerous, and ordered me to stop zhe creation of this new species.  
  
But....I had created life! Life zhat was intelligent, zhat could think, act, and function as any natural being could! I grew attached to my Experiment, and it vhas my instinct to continue my rezearch, and I did.  
  
Vith each Experiment I created came an improvement in zheir physical statistic and prowess. Each succeeding one was better than zhe last, and it became my ambition to create zhe ultimate life-form.  
  
But...as my work progressed, and zhe Experiments began to form emotions of zheir own...I grew close to zhem. Only zhen did I realize how isolated I had become in my work, and how lonely I had grown. Zhe Experiments became my friends, and I no longer felt alone. I a way, I felt as if I were zheir father, and it gave me a feeling of accomplishment.  
  
But zhings began to change...  
  
One day, I vhas contacted by a creature called Zimbel. I vhas wary of him from the beginning, and his motives made me feel even vorse. He said he represented a small 'organization' zhat vhas interested in my vork.  
  
Immediately, I vhas afraid. How could he have known about my Experiments, vhen I had kept it completely secret? He vouldn't tell me, but said zhat he vhas interested in vorking vith me. At first I refused, but he threatened to expose my vork...apparently, he vhas interested in creating a prototype Experiment for his organization.  
  
I finally agreed to vork vith him, under zhe condition zhat ve vould keep it hidden from zhe other Experiments. To mask our togetherness from others, we lied that ve were working on a military project.  
  
I regret it all...  
  
541 took longer to breed than zhe others. Zimbel demanded his bodily capabilities to be so great zhat I thought he vould die before he could breathe...but it vorked!  
  
Zimbel ordered zhat 541's brain be manipulated to make him more aggressive than anything else I had created. Vhen he did awake, his first instinct vhas to destroy...and I was forced to become a slave-driver.  
  
I had thought I vhas only to breed 541 for Zimbel, and zhen hand him over, but Zimbel insisted zhat not only to I make him, but also train him to fit the organization's needs. Once again, I objected strongly, but Zimbel continued to threaten me vith exposure, and I vent along with him.  
  
Although I never let it show, it hurt me so much to treat my own creation in the vay I did. As he grew, I knew he hated me, and that hurt me even more.  
  
Then, one day, Zimbel approached me vith a demand: he vanted me to turn over all of my Experiments to him and his organization for zheir own use! Zhat vhas vhen I put my foot down and refused.  
  
I decided zhen to end vhat I had been doing. 541 was so dangerous that I felt he vould hurt others if I let him free...I zhought I had to kill him.  
  
Zimbel protested, and in the process, 541 escaped. I did vhat I could to stop him, but he vanished completely...as did Zimbel."  
  
***  
  
Jumba sighed deeply and looked up. Peka's face was full of shock.  
  
Jumba smiled slightly.  
  
"I take", he said.  
  
"I told you zomething you did not know before."  
  
"Jumba...", Peka said quietly, awedly.  
  
"Why...why didn't you tell us before?"  
  
The look of sadness returned to Jumba's face.  
  
"It is still my fault", he said.  
  
"I should never have cooperated vith Zimbel in zhe first place."  
  
"But it isn't your fault!", Peka objected.  
  
"I thought that you were...but they made you do it!"  
  
Jumba shook his head.  
  
"I should've fought", he said.  
  
"Instead, I became a devil to one of my own children, and made his life a true Hell."  
  
Peka was still awestruck.  
  
"But...but..."  
  
Jumba shook his head.  
  
"I never heard from Zimbel again", he said.  
  
"But I vhas still scared. I began making Experiments with the same strength- increasing process I used to create 541, to protect us if ever a threat should arise...but I never heard from zhem again."  
  
He sat back and continued.  
  
"Everyzhing fell apart once zhe Galactic Alliance uncovered my vork...and ve all had to run away, in different directions."  
  
He shifted himself uncomfortably and pulled at the hem of his vest.  
  
"I told you before", he said.  
  
"I lost all contact with zhe other Experiments...I vould think about them all everyday...but I'd alvays vonder what became of 541..."  
  
He smiled weakly at his knees.  
  
"I guess I know now."  
  
Peka's over-given enthusiasm slowly died down into a small yet honest smile. Now she understood.  
  
"His name is Auron", she told Jumba.  
  
"He came to Earth on accident, just like Stitch did...and he found a family that he loves."  
  
Jumba said nothing, but Peka swore that she saw a tear slide from his eye to floor, in the air of a father learning the successful fate of a long- lost son.  
  
Peka smiled to herself. Even though Jumba blamed himself for the abuse that Auron had suffered, it all made sense to her now. Jumba was still the Jumba she had known all her life, and had not changed. She was still able to love him like she had all her life...he was still all right.  
  
Peka looked at Jumba, and her smile continued.  
  
"I saw him once before", she told her creator quietly.  
  
"I didn't want to think what I saw was true...so I chose to forget it. But now, I'm glad to know that it wasn't all that I thought it was."  
  
Jumba looked up and wiped the tears from his numerous eyes.  
  
"I didn't vant anybody to see him", he said with a slight smile.  
  
"Only one other aside me and Zimbel knew he existed."  
  
"Who was it?", Peka asked.  
  
Jumba opened his mouth to respond...but fell short of what he was about to say.  
  
"I believe ve have had an audience", he stated, pointing towards the window.  
  
Peka turned around, but knew what he had meant before she did.  
  
"You guys can come in!", she called loudly.  
  
In slow embarrassment, the door to the shackhouse creaked open and Stitch, Owen, and Twyla walked in.  
  
"Sorry...", Stitch murmured remorsedly.  
  
"We shouldn't have eavesdropped."  
  
"I think that's okay", Peka assured them.  
  
"Yes", Jumba added.  
  
"I von't have to repeat zhe same story twice."  
  
Peka turned to face him.  
  
"I think you'll have to anyway", she told him seriously.  
  
Jumba nodded in his knowing.  
  
"To 541", he said in equal solemness.  
  
Then, his facial expression broke slightly to show nervousness.  
  
"But I can't do it alone", he confessed.  
  
"Don't worry", Peka said, reflecting the thoughts of the other Experiments.  
  
"We'll go with you."  
  
Jumba swallowed heavily.  
  
"541 might be upset...", he warned.  
  
"He'll listen", Peka foretold.  
  
"I know he will."  
  
Juumba stood pondering for a moment, and finally nodded in agreement.  
  
"Yes", he said.  
  
"Let us go zhen."  
  
*********  
  
[A/N: how's that for updating-time? At least I've improved compared to the last chapter...  
  
To me, it's kind of a personal relief that Jumba wasn't the bad-guy that I portrayed him to be in 'Before Perfection'. He's still on the good-guys list]  
  
[P.S: most extreame priness asked me how the names of Auron and Aron and Garon are pronounced. Well, Auron is what it looks like ['ar-on'], as is Aron and Garon [air-in] [ger-in].] 


	7. Silent Melody

Love and Burden  
  
by The Great Red Dragon  
  
***  
  
Chapter 7  
  
*********  
  
Auron wondered what his hosts would think if they caught him using the phone without permission...twice. Honestly, he didn't think that they'd restrict him, but he was afraid to ask.  
  
The buttons clicked quietly as he punched in the last few numbers. With the receiver to his ear, he listened as the prompting beeps began to sound. He heard the click of the phone being answered at the other end-  
  
"Auron?"  
  
Like lightning, Auron slammed the receiver back down as he heard Peka from behind him.  
  
He spun around in horror...but was surprised to see that she was smiling.  
  
"Oojeh camesata?", she asked.  
  
It took Auron a second to realize that she was speaking Turian; asking if he had been using the phone.  
  
"Yeah...", he confessed.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
Peka continued to smile and stepped towards him.  
  
"Do you still remember how to speak Turian?", she asked him offhandedly.  
  
Auron nodded his head in acknowledgement.  
  
"Let's hear it", she urged him.  
  
Auron was in wonder why in the world he was supposed to be demonstrating [and why there was no further comment about the phone.  
  
"Um...", he began thoughtfully.  
  
"Naka mana-quiesta ool camesata [I'm sorry for using the phone]."  
  
Peka's soft smile continued to show as she motioned for him to walk with her.  
  
"Don't worry about it", she told him [still in Turian].  
  
"Where are Aron and Garon?"  
  
"Upstairs", Auron answered [also in Turian].  
  
"They're brushing their teeth."  
  
"They're brushing their teeth?", Peka exclaimed in surprise.  
  
"How'd you get them to do that?"  
  
Auron smiled weakly as they continue to walk along.  
  
"Did you know that they're Michael Jackson fans?", he asked.  
  
"Sorry if I manipulated them, but I said that Michael Jackson's voice was horrible until he began brushing his teeth."  
  
Peka laughed at Auron's words.  
  
"That's good", he commented.  
  
"Owen just tells them that if they don't brush their teeth, they'll fall out and they'll only be able to eat apple sauce for the rest of their lives."  
  
"That's even better", Auron replied with a laugh.  
  
"Owen's a great father, huh?"  
  
Peka nodded honestly.  
  
"I know it's not what he was cut out to be", she said.  
  
"But he loves those two more than anything else."  
  
"Yeah", Auron agreed.  
  
"They are pretty lovable."  
  
"Only when they're not at eachother's throats", Peka said warningly.  
  
"I'm glad of how close they are, but they can get into some tooth-and-nail fights at times."  
  
"That's a sign of brotherly love", Auron corrected humorously.  
  
"It's just their sign of substituting a hug and a kiss."  
  
"I guess so", Peka agreed.  
  
A second of silence followed...  
  
"Uh, Peka?", Auron asked.  
  
"Why're we walking in circles around the hallways and the kitchen?"  
  
"Oh...no reason", Peka lied, cringing at the idea of what she would eventually have to confront him with.  
  
"I'm just bored."  
  
"Speaking of bored...", Auron opened, with the tense air of approaching a sensitive subject.  
  
"Last night...did I do something wrong?"  
  
Peka continued to pace with Auron, but she had come to an emotional standstill.  
  
She did not yet want to reveal that her break of mind had been triggered by her sudden remembrance of him, but felt a strange obligation to satisfy his question; he was truly worried about her.  
  
"No, it's not your fault", she assured him.  
  
"I'm well...I guess I've just been going through a difficult phase in my life."  
  
This was the first thing that popped into her mind.  
  
"...Do you want to talk about it?", Auron offered helpfully.  
  
"I mean, we don't have to if you don't want to, but, well..."  
  
"Why am I feeling this open to him?", Peka asked herself.  
  
She had just realized that she was about to reveal to him a mix of emotions that she had tried to keep secret from everybody else.  
  
"Well...", she began, still asking herself why she was saying.  
  
"I...well...it's Owen."  
  
"What about him?", Auron asked caringly.  
  
"Well...", Peka said slowly ["Why am I doing this?"].  
  
"It...it feels like he's been ignoring me."  
  
She swallowed heavily, before continuing.  
  
"I mean, I know that Owen's not really the romantic type, but things used to be a lot better between us than they are now."  
  
"You mean you two arguing?", Auron asked.  
  
"No", Peka said.  
  
"See...even after Aron and Garon were born, the love we had was still young. Throughout the day, we'd hug or kiss, sometimes even both when nobody was watching. Every night, when we were in bed, we'd cuddle up and fall asleep together...but it's like that's coming apart now."  
  
Through her intimidating feeling of stupidity, she continued.  
  
"Now, he won't even turn in my direction when we're in bed...he spends more and more time getting sick on his food and in front of the television. It feels like we're drifting apart, and he's not even aware of it."  
  
Auron tried to sound helpful [although he too felt stupid in this matter] and pursued.  
  
"Well...have you tried anything to get him back?", he asked.  
  
Peka nodded.  
  
"I've tried whatever I can", she said sadly.  
  
Then ["Why am I telling him this?!?], she added;  
  
"I've even considered renting some dirty movies to...well, you know...to 'turn him on'..."  
  
Then she shook her head.  
  
"It's not sex that I want", she said honestly.  
  
"I just want him to recognize me again. I want him to love me again."  
  
Auron felt bad about not being able to find a way he felt could help her. He had secretly prided himself on being able to handle these things well, but 'these things' had not yet included how to bring a couple back together.  
  
Peka felt bad herself; she felt as if she was burdening Auron with her own problems. It made her feel selfish, but the next words that came out of her mouth were a full-blown request.  
  
"Could you talk to him?"  
  
Both of them were blown back by this question that they both halted in their steps for a moment.  
  
"M-me?", Auron said in near-disbelief.  
  
"You want me to talk to Owen?.........are you serious?"  
  
"I'm afraid to say anything", Peka said quietly as they began to pace again.  
  
"And you're a guy, too, so I thought that..."  
  
Her voice trailed off.  
  
Auron continued to feel dumbfounded. His first idea was that the whole thing was ludicrous. Surely Owen wouldn't listen to him: a total stranger.  
  
But then...he looked over, and saw the look of deepening sadness and embarrassment in her eyes as she awaited a rejection.  
  
Auron swallowed heavily.  
  
"....Sure", he said after a while.  
  
Peka looked up in surprise at Auron.  
  
"Really?", she asked.  
  
"You'll do it?"  
  
"I will", Auron said with a nod.  
  
"I'm not sure what I can say, but..."  
  
"Oh, Auron!", Peka exclaimed happily, stopping the walk to hug the Experiment around the neck.  
  
"Thank you so much!"  
  
Auron stood there, absorbing the embrace, not knowing what to do. Personally, he considered this show of gratitude to be a bit drastic...but then again, he wasn't about to be rude and push her away.  
  
"Alright then...", he said as nicely as he could, patting Peka gently on the back.  
  
She let go of him, and her bright smile of thankfulness continued...until her face suddenly fell dramatically.  
  
"Peka?", Auron asked in surprise.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
Peka lowered her head towards the floor dully and slowly.  
  
"Uh...there's something I have to tell you, Auron", she said quietly.  
  
"What is it?", Auron asked.  
  
Peka looked back up, and there was the tiniest trace of fear in her eyes.  
  
"I brought you here for a reason", she confessed.  
  
Auron looked around, and noticed that they were in front of the living room door.  
  
"Please let us explain", Peka requested almost pleadingly.  
  
"We know you'll be shocked, but please let us talk first, alright?"  
  
"What's this all about?", Auron asked somewhat tensely.  
  
"What's going on, Peka?"  
  
"Please...", she begged one more time, and pushed open the door to the living room.  
  
And inside, sitting and standing as planned, were Stitch, Twyla, Owen, and Jumba Jookiba.  
  
***  
  
All eyes were on Auron. He blinked casually, as if accepting a simple trick of the light.  
  
He blinked again, this time more intently; he couldn't be seeing what he was seeing.  
  
Then, as he slowly realized that what he was seeing wasn't as illusion, he began to step backwards, ever so slowly, as if an extremely large animal were sighting him.  
  
"Please, Auron!", Peka begged once more, attempting to put her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Everything that happened, we can explain it!"  
  
"What's going on?", Auron hissed to her quietly.  
  
"What the Hell is happening?"  
  
"Auron, we can explain everything!", Peka pleaded continuously.  
  
"If you'll just let us-"  
  
"No!", Auron exclaimed, swatting her hand away.  
  
"You-! You all...tricked me! You're working with him!"  
  
Peka shook her head desperately, and Stitch in the living room came forward, hoping to help the situation.  
  
"Auron", he began quickly and carefully.  
  
"Jumba's not the bad guy! We can clear up the whole story-"  
  
"SHUT UP!", Auron shouted again.  
  
Anybody looking at him would see a paranoid creature, confused, shocked, and outraged. It was an emotion not often seen in him; his entire universe had been turned upside-down in a few simple seconds, in which he had been exposed to the fact that not only his much-hated creator was alive, but ever so close to him.  
  
And the idea that those who he had thought to be his friends were now defending Jumba was truly un-nerving.  
  
And as Stitch came closer, it made Auron feel like a cornered animal.  
  
When Stitch reached out to him, perhaps to calm him, he hit it away.  
  
When Stitch tried again, he punched him in the face.  
  
Stitch, unsuspecting of the blow, fell back onto his behind with a grunt.  
  
Everybody in the living room stood up alertly.  
  
Peka moved towards Auron, and he looked at her as if she was up next for a smack in the face.  
  
It was unsure who made the next move, but whoever it was, the next second, Stitch and Auron were fighting.  
  
*********  
  
It was now much later. The sky had turned dark and starry; perfect for viewing.  
  
It was being viewed by a certain individual, who sat atop the roof of the Pelekai household.  
  
Auron stared up into the infinite universe in a way he had never done before. He wondered what else he didn't know, what else had gone unchecked, and who else was who.  
  
The fight between him and Stitch had been a short one. Stitch was stronger than he was, and he had not been in a focused state of mind.  
  
He wasn't sure how the fight was broken up, but he had been shedding tears of exasperation after the punches had stopped.  
  
Auron reflected upon how strange it was to have these mood swings: first he was scared and paranoid, next he was in the will to fight, next he was having a nervous breakdown, and finally he sucked up the tears and went into a kind of mental cocoon.  
  
He had listened to Jumba. The two of them were granted serenity and they sat behind a closed door.  
  
Jumba had spoken for a long time, gibbering and stuttering. What he had said made sense in a way that Auron didn't want to accept, and he felt an emotion of sudden humility that he had not felt before.  
  
Yes, he had listened to Jumba, but he had listened without accepting. His ears had taken in his creator's voice, but he wasn't sure if the words had made it to his brain.  
  
He had simply walked out the door and into a world of his own once it seemed as if Jumba was finished...when he had said;  
  
"I don't know if you can ever forgive me...I don't dezerve forgiveness. But I vant you to know, as my child, zhat I am forever grieved and remorseful for vhat I did to you."  
  
Something inside Auron's mind growled angrily as he remembered this.  
  
"I'm not your child", it snarled.  
  
"You created me, but I'm not your child. You gave me life, but I'm not you child. You made me what I am, but I'm not you child. You tortured and tried to kill me, so I can't be you fucking child."  
  
Auron did not forgive Jumba, and he couldn't care less about his apology. Jumba was still the evil he had grown up with, and something like that was not easily brushed aside. It became his pact never to forgive Jumba, no matter what.  
  
But the others...  
  
***  
  
Just then, Auron turned to the sound of the hatch-door opening. Light from inside of the house spilled into the nightly darkness, and Peka climbed into view.  
  
"Hey...", she greeted quietly, with a neutral expression on her face.  
  
Auron slowly raised his hand in return.  
  
Peka stepped onto the orange-colored tiles of the roof and closed the hatch behind her.  
  
"Aren't you cold up here?", she asked.  
  
He shook his head and raised his head to the stars once again.  
  
Peka quietly crawled over to Auron and sat down next to him. She looked at him briefly, saw that their eyes would not meet, and directed her attention to the skies herself.  
  
"Pretty night, huh?", she commented.  
  
Auron nodded again.  
  
"Pretty...yeah."  
  
Peka leaned towards him.  
  
"I'm sorry about...well, you know what", she apologized.  
  
"This morning", Auron stated, filling in the blank.  
  
"Yes...", Peka said slowly, feeling that even this plan to simply talk to Auron turned out bad.  
  
Auron sighed heavily.  
  
"Are you going back down?", he asked quietly.  
  
"Yeah...", Peka answered.  
  
"Eventually."  
  
"Could you please tell Stitch that I'm sorry for starting the fight?", Auron requested, somewhat sadly.  
  
Peka nodded.  
  
"Sure", she agreed before replying;  
  
"But I don't think that's necessary. We all know how you must've been feeling...Stitch even wanted me to apologize to you."  
  
Auron lowered his head to his feet miserably.  
  
"It's all my fault", he said gloomily.  
  
"I shouldn't have gone all crazy just because..."  
  
Peka noticed how he stopped when he said this. She knew that he didn't see Jumba in the same innocent light that she did, and she didn't blame him...but she still wanted to try to get him to understand.  
  
"Did you listen to what Jumba said?", she asked cautiously; venturing out on a dangerous subject.  
  
Auron looked back up at the sky and nodded curtly.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Peka sighed under her breath. Auron didn't want to want to talk about...but she persisted.  
  
"Jumba's...not that bad, you know...", she said, and knowing immediately that her statement had been weak and meaningless.  
  
Auron continued to stare towards the Heavens, as if he had not heard her.  
  
"I mean, you heard what he said", she continued.  
  
"He was under threat, y'know..all of the Experiments were under threat."  
  
Still no reaction from Auron. Only his laid-back ears flowing slightly in a passing breeze.  
  
"He isn't a bad guy...really", she pressed on, before hitting a final stroke:  
  
"...I mean, you're still alive, right?"  
  
At these words, Auron's head snapped in Peka's direction to face her. His expression was almost livid.  
  
"I'm ALIVE?!", he fumed.  
  
"You think his actions can be justified by the fact that he let me live? By the fact that I got away before he shot me?! I don't think you have any idea what Hell he put me through, every single day he had me! How can you sit there like that and have sympathy for somebody, for something like that!?!"  
  
His wave of outrage had been short. Auron turned his head back straight with an angry expression on his face and clenched his fists as he supported himself.  
  
Peka lowered her head quietly. She knew that she had been wrong in the way she had spoken to him, and she felt that she deserved his outburst. She didn't know what was going to happen, and decided silently to handle the situation delicately.  
  
***  
  
Auron sat in his position of anger for several minutes, and Peka didn't move. It wasn't that she was afraid to, but the possibility that she hurt Auron even more.  
  
After what seemed like forever, he finally turned his head to face her, looking remorseful.  
  
"I'm sorry I yelled at you", he apologized honestly.  
  
"...I'm sorry I was inconsiderate of your feelings", Peka replied with the same serenity.  
  
Auron sighed heavily once again and looked at the tiles.  
  
"I can't forget what Jumba did to me", he said quietly.  
  
"And I can't forget either."  
  
Peka nodded in understandment.  
  
"I believe that what he did was for the well-being for the other Experiments", Auron continued.  
  
"He must've loved them all very much to hate me equally as much. But what he put me through will make me hate him for the rest of my life. I can't forgive him."  
  
Peka nodded sadly.  
  
"I don't blame you, Auron", she told him, and they entered another period of silence.  
  
It was broken a few minutes later by Auron, who turned to ask Peka;  
  
"How're Aron and Garon?"  
  
"Aron and Garon?", Peka repeated.  
  
"Their fine...they didn't hear what went on. But they're concerned about you."  
  
"I was afraid they might've heard", Auron admitted.  
  
"I didn't want them to see me fighting."  
  
He breathed twice, before looking back up at Peka.  
  
"Could you please get me my guitar?", he asked her.  
  
Peka was a bit surprised by this request.  
  
"Your guitar?", she asked.  
  
"I don't want to be lazy", Auron explained.  
  
"But I don't really want to face everybody downstairs yet."  
  
After a second, Peka nodded with a small smile, and she crawled back over to the hatch and disappeared from sight.  
  
***  
  
Reason to loathe,  
  
Choose your future bold  
  
Don't do it, you know you know you're  
  
***  
  
Peka returned a minute later, carefully holding the red-bodied instrument under one arm.  
  
"I'm back", she announced as she shut the hatch behind her carefully.  
  
Auron admired her respect for his possession as she cradled it over to him with extreme care.  
  
"Thanks", he thanked her as she handed it to him with both hands.  
  
"What did you want it for?", she asked him curiously.  
  
"To play it, you fool", Auron thought to himself as he carefully rested its base on the inside of his hip.  
  
He decided for replying in a nicer way.  
  
"When I get upset", he began, tuning the wheels at the head.  
  
"I can sometimes calm down if I just sit down and think up a song."  
  
"You write songs?", Peka asked with interest.  
  
"I don't write them", Auron said with a small grin of pride.  
  
"I memorize the ones that are worth memorizing."  
  
"Stitch does that too", Peka commented.  
  
"Y'know, with his ukulele. But he doesn't sing."  
  
Auron nodded and continued to fine-tune his guitar.  
  
"Have you thought up many songs?", Peka continued, feeling that she was back on his good side.  
  
"A few", Auron answered.  
  
"But please don't ask me to sing now...I just wanna string it a bit."  
  
"Alright", Auron allowed, feeling even prouder of himself.  
  
"I won't play loud...just a bit."  
  
He clicked a small push-switch on the back of the guitar to activate the built-in amplifier, sat a moment and thought, and them strung his claws across the chords.  
  
To Peka, the sound was surprising. It wasn't the hard-rock she had expected...but a lonely, calling throb that echoed far no matter how low it was played. Immediately her mind flew to a scene in the movie 'The Crow'; when he had sat on rooftop and played in sorrow.  
  
That was what Auron's music sounded like.  
  
It was addictive in a reverend way: she wanted to hear more, but not because it was a catchy tune. The sound verberating from the depths of the guitar was awe-inspiring, and it told a story that only those who truly listened would understand.  
  
Auron was in a world of his own as he did this. His eyes were closed, and not even looking at his fingers as they traced the outline of the rock- melody. His breathing seemed to flow with the emotional dins of his prized guitar, as did his heart, pulse, and mind. It was his element: to play this instrument as he wanted. It was his own time, and his own art gave him a silent, untold joy.  
  
***  
  
Held by the code,  
  
Do what you are told  
  
The icon of dominance  
  
***  
  
Time didn't matter when Auron played; it was only when he had strung the final cord that Peka realized she was walking a dream world.  
  
She snapped awake, but the look of amazed admirement still showed on her face.  
  
"Wow...", she commented as Auron laid the guitar down on his lap.  
  
"That's really good!"  
  
Auron smiled and hid a small blush.  
  
"Thank you. Thanks for listening."  
  
Peka smiled back at him peacefully.  
  
"You really are a talent", she complimented.  
  
Peka looked back up at the stars, and a thousand thoughts of the universe rushed into her mind. This time, however, she was able to sweep them away effortlessly.  
  
"I gotta go back downstairs", she said, getting to her feet carefully.  
  
"I gotta tuck Aron and Garon in."  
  
"Tell them 'good-night' from me, okay?", Auron asked her.  
  
"Sure", she agreed, opening the hatch once again.  
  
"Are you coming down any time soon?"  
  
"Eventually", Auron replied.  
  
"I just...I just wanna watch the stars a bit."  
  
"Okay", Peka said with a nod.  
  
"Good-night, Auron", she added, descending down.  
  
"Good-night, Peka", Auron replied with a smile as the hatch cut the light away.  
  
He looked back up at the star-filled sky, feeling a mix of emotions as he began deciphering constellations, planets, and nebulas.  
  
He wondered what was going to happen to him now. What fate had in store for him. Many times, Auron had accepted fate into his life, but there were several exceptions to be made.  
  
Auron wondered if he had changed fate by escaping Jumba back on Turo. Had he changed fate when he was hit by Riley's car, and they came together? What about the time that he had saved Riley and his sister from the Predator? What about when he left Riley's house?  
  
Auron continued to wonder. Perhaps it was fate that he had these ideas about changing fate. Many times, he had also predicted a Grand Plan to be taking place for him. He hated the thought of his life being decided for him, but he wasn't sure that was the case.  
  
Often, he had tried to decipher fate to see the future. Many times it had been purely practical, but at the moment, he searched for a pattern among the stars that might give him an answer.  
  
In many ways, he was confused about the position he was in. With Jumba being here, him befriending Peka, and everything else. His life had taken so many unexpected turns that he often longed to know what would happen next before somebody gave it to him.  
  
"Maybe that's just the way things are supposed to be", he thought to himself.  
  
"Maybe nobody is supposed to know until it happens."  
  
It was a strange thought, and he felt ready to accept it.  
  
Until...  
  
***  
  
Suddenly, the sky above him broke. Auron sat straight up as he noticed the disturbance in the Heavens.  
  
It was a completely cloudless night, and the universe seemed infinite. However, there was something very noticeable in all the infinity moving towards him.  
  
He stood up and strained his eyes. At first, he suspected it to be a meteor. But as it came closer, and his advanced vision began to take effect, he realized that it was no meteor; it was a spaceship.  
  
Trailing green exhaust smoke that boomed up from behind like an ineffective parachute, the craft plummeted nozzle-down towards the Earth, at an angle that wouldn't lead too far away from where he was right now.  
  
It was coming closer and closer at a fast rate. Auron noticed that a wall- like humming was pressing down on him as the sound of the crashing ship swooned past its source.  
  
"Oh God!", Auron muttered as the ship broke through a low cloud and continued in direction of the jungle.  
  
He ran to the top of the observatory and stood up for a better view. The small vessel was now completely noticeable to all eyes.  
  
A brief shriek of the engine sounded as the craft moved nearer and nearer to ground, until it disappeared into the tall trees of the jungle.  
  
Auron felt the house shake below him as the impacting crash sent a tremor through the ground. The ship had landed [in other words, it hadn't exploded], and as now resting in the jungle. Alone.  
  
"I call it!", Auron thought to himself, and jumped down from the roof of the house to investigate the site.  
  
*********  
  
[A/N: okay, here's the chapter! I hope you enjoyed it. This marks the beginning of the major plot of the story...fasten your seat belts!  
  
DanMat6288- all of my [and Took's] characters are not based on the TV show ['Lilo & Stitch: the Series], or the second movie ['Stitch! The Movie']. Don't expect to be seeing Gantu or Hamsterviel; they're not in my plot.  
  
VOI99- don't worry; this won't turn into a love-triangle...but there's gonna be some love involved. The info on the Pred is yet to be released...  
  
most extreame priness- I know which characters I'm using, and which story I'm writing. I'm not getting anything mixed up.  
  
I'm sorry if it seems like I skipped over some parts; I wanted to get this chapter done. Hope I did good...  
  
Also, I'm a bit concerned about not using all of the characters as much as I should. I mean, there's barely been anything from Nani or Lilo...gimme your ideas, okay?  
  
See ya!]  
  
[PS: the lyrics belong to Lordi...but I don't know the name of the song] 


	8. Speechless

Love and Burden  
  
by Thee Great Red Dragon  
  
***  
  
Chapter 8  
  
*********  
  
Auron was in the jungle before he knew it. He didn't have to wander for a trail; his strong sense of smell picked up the trace of burning within instants.  
  
The small, leafy bushes that marked the edge and beginning of the forest soon turned dense and massive, as the large, tropical trees with their cape- like leaves engulfed all vision.  
  
But Auron didn't need to see through the darkness. His sense of smell, awarability, and sixth sense guided him swiftly towards the area where he would surely behold the scene of the crash.  
  
As he sped through the dark maze of plant life, he noticed something change. Through the mesh of sight, odd colors began to spring up. Auron foresaw what it could be, and he sped up. Yes, the shining, smoked colors were becoming bigger, and the smells of wreckage became greater.  
  
Auron jumped from the final tangle of leaves, into the area of the crash.  
  
He stopped abruptly, and breathed heavily as he gazed upon the trashed, smoking star-cruiser in front of him.  
  
It was a small craft, grey in color and rounded like a flying saucer. The broke-down, metallic hull was cracked and dented in so many places, and the crunched engines protruding from the ship's rear were sputtering a futile act of sparks. Dust was still settling from the ship's direct, non-sliding collision with the ground [Auron was amazed that the craft hadn't exploded upon impact], and it mixed in with the smoke still expelling from the various 'injuries' of the down spaceship.  
  
It reminded Auron vividly of his own landing on Earth.  
  
"Hello?", he called out audibly over the sounds of the dying ship.  
  
"Is anybody alive in there?"  
  
There was no answer.  
  
Auron inched closer and stepped down into the small crater that had been created by the crash. Gingerly, he reached out and touched the ship's hull, hoping that it wasn't burning-hot.  
  
It wasn't.  
  
Auron dug his claws into the body of the ship and climbed the height of the vessel; up to the cockpit, which was perched upon the top-center of the ship.  
  
The hatch to the cockpit was a round half-sphere, artificially smoked from the outside. Auron couldn't see inside.  
  
"Hey!", he called again, knocking loudly on the cockpit.  
  
"Is anybody in there?"  
  
Still no answer.  
  
It then occurred to Auron that there weren't supposed to be any aliens near Earth! Not even in the vicinity! What was this extraterrestrial spaceship doing smack in the middle of Hawaii?  
  
He decided to think more about the subject later, and concerned himself with who or what was inside of the ship's cockpit. He half-expected that the pilot could have hardly survived the crash...but if there was somebody alive in there, unable to hear or answer, he was going help them.  
  
Auron balled his right hand into a fist and aimed [and executed] a sturdy punch to the center of the protective glass. He didn't manage to break it. His hand simply bounced off of the surface painlessly, leaving him with a slight sense of humility.  
  
"Well, that didn't work", he said to himself.  
  
Attempting a new method, he pried his fingers roughly underneath the inlet of the cockpit, and began in attempt to tear it off.  
  
At first, the thing wouldn't budge. As if his method was futile, Auron pulled as hard as he could on the cockpit-cover without any result.  
  
But as sweat began to bead on the fur on his forehead and his fingers began to ache, he felt it began to weaken and give slightly. It felt almost as if he were bending the reinforced glass as he pulled steadily.  
  
He felt it coming and he clenched his teeth and eyes firmly. He set his legs straight, held his tongue, and gave one final burst of strength to his struggle.  
  
BWUANG!  
  
The lid of the cockpit sprang loose so quickly that it flew into the jungle as Auron was thrown backwards off of the ship with a shout.  
  
"Ouch!", he exclaimed with a grunt as he landed heavily on the ground.  
  
Rubbing the back of his head where he had impacted, Auron sat up and cursed under his breath.  
  
"Dammit..."  
  
His wave of irritation was quickly forgotten as he remembered what was at hand.  
  
He stood up, brushing the dirt and dust off of himself, and his way back towards the ship. He scaled the side of the craft once again, anxious to see the crashed flier he had exposed. He raised himself above the cockpit, eager as could be...and saw who was in it.  
  
It was another Experiment.  
  
***  
  
It was a female. It was so obvious...she was so attractive.  
  
Auron's mouth opened slightly in surprise. She lay unconscious in the small, rotating chair that was surrounded by control panels. The panels were smashed a sparking, and the sounding light illuminated the Experiment's face.  
  
Her fine body-fur was an attractive grayish-blue, and her ears were shorter than Auron's. They were tipped in black, and they weren't split like Stitch's were. Her tummy and chest area were several notches lighter than the rest of her body, as were the round areas of fur around her eyes.  
  
Auron stood spellbound above this sacred creature, without realizing how wide his eyes had gone.  
  
He had indeed realized before that both Peka and Twyla were good-looking, but this Experiment...she was something special.  
  
He knew it.  
  
***  
  
Slowly, after shutting his mouth, Auron kneeled down carefully, closer to the cockpit. Delicately, he lowered one of his hands down to the beautiful stranger, and placed two clawed finger against the side of her neck.  
  
Her pulse was stable. She was alive.  
  
Auron withdrew his fingers. As he did, the Experiment moaned painfully through her teeth, and her body shifted itself in its unconscious state.  
  
Auron knew she might be hurt; he had to get her back to the house.  
  
As he reached down again to lift her body from the cockpit...something stopped him. For some reason, he didn't feel it to be 'right' for him to touch her body.  
  
"What?", he thought to himself.  
  
"Why shouldn't I be able to?"  
  
He hadn't ever had a problem touching or hugging his other friends, like Riley and Peka. He had never felt this no-touch thing before...so why the big hold-up?  
  
Whatever it was, it was ignored when the Experiment's face grimaced in a painful way, and a small whimper of pain escaped her lips.  
  
Auron was half-expecting his nose to start running like mad as he knelt down onto his knees and reached into the fuming cockpit to free the wondrous somebody.  
  
He got momentarily entangled in what he thought was a long, stretchy cord, but it turned out to be the Experiments tail.  
  
After getting over the surprise of this, Auron gently lifted the victim out of the ship and into his arms in a cradle-like position. She didn't awake in his grasp, and her head drooped quietly onto his shoulder. Auron momentarily lost his foothold as this happened, but he found his posture before he [and who he was carrying] toppled down.  
  
He turned around and jumped from the top of the small ship onto the near ground, growing accustomed to the Experiment's weight quickly. He climbed out of the crater easily enough, and stopped briefly to look back at the mangled spaceship.  
  
"How are we going to cover this up?", he thought miserably, imagining this entire site being discovered by humans.  
  
He felt the Experiment's steady breath on his shoulder and looked down at her. Only now did he notice that she had an audible cut over her eye that had started to bleed.  
  
With determined speed, he hurried back towards the Pelekai house, his newly- discovered comrade still in his arms.  
  
*********  
  
[A/N: alright chapter 9 is complete!  
  
Forgive me for the fact that this chapter is so short; I didn't think it was literally correct to fit it in with the next chapter. Also, I'm a bit concerned that I didn't put in as much detail as I could've...  
  
Who's the new Experiment that's got Auron woozy-doozy? Well, I suggest that you go read Took Baggins' 'Until the End'...take a guess at who it is!] 


	9. Night Light

Love and Burden  
  
by The Great Red Dragon  
  
***  
  
Chapter 9  
  
***  
  
With one foot, Auron kicked the door open with a bang. Needlessly said, he had his hands full.  
  
"Somebody help me!", he shouted out over another agonizing moan of the female Experiment.  
  
He stepped further into the hallway, and heard commotion upstairs. The light came down from the top floor with a click, along with several pairs of feet.  
  
Peka appeared first, followed closely by a not-so-awake Owen.  
  
"Whassa matter?", he asked groggily, blinking sleep from his eyes.  
  
Peka however, was more alert. As she saw the unconscious somebody in Owen's arms, she let out an audible gasp and her eyes went wide.  
  
"Oh God!", she exclaimed, and hurried down the last few steps.  
  
"I-I found her", Auron said as Peka came closer.  
  
"Her ship crashed...I think she's hurt."  
  
"It's a she?", Peka asked.  
  
"What-"  
  
She stopped dead, as her eyes fell on the female Experiment.  
  
"What is it?", Auron asked anxiously.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"That's...that's...", Peka began to say, but Owen [looking over her shoulder] answered for her.  
  
"That's 471!", he said in surprise.  
  
"You're right!", Peka said.  
  
"It is 471!"  
  
"You mean Experiment 471?", Auron asked in slight confusement.  
  
"Yes!", Peka said.  
  
"I knew her. We all knew her in Jumba's lab!"  
  
There came another miniature thundering of the stairs, and Stitch and Twyla showed themselves.  
  
"What's happening?", Stitch asked, helping Twyla down the last few steps.  
  
Owen, lacking a feeling or seriousness for the matter [perhaps because of his sleepiness], and answered comically;  
  
"Yo, 471 in da house!"  
  
Despite the [already mentioned] condition of the situation, everybody managed to groan.  
  
Another miniature thunder-roll broke out, and Lilo and Nani, wearing blue and pink nightshirts, came down the stairs.  
  
"What's going on?", they asked simultaneously.  
  
"Is this a get-together, or what?", Auron asked in tensed annoyance.  
  
"She needs help!"  
  
"Bring her in the living room!", Peka suggested.  
  
Auron nodded and cleared his way through the crowd.  
  
Peka lead the way into the living room, clicking on the lights as she did. She hurried over to the couch and cleared away the pillows as Auron approached, the other following him.  
  
"Alright, I'd like to know what is going on!", Nani said earnestly.  
  
"This is after all my house, and I think I have a right to know why there's another Experiment on my couch! First Auron shows up-"  
  
"Oh, be quiet!", Lilo interrupted, and pushed her way passed her older sister.  
  
She looked upon Experiment 471 with concern in her eyes.  
  
"Is she alright?", she asked anxiously.  
  
"How bad is she hurt?"  
  
Auron pulled a tissue from a box on the coffee table and used it to gently clean the trickle of blood from 471's forehead.  
  
"I don't know", he answered.  
  
"I'm not a doctor..."  
  
"That's it!", Stitch exclaimed.  
  
"I'll go get Jumba! He'll know what to do!"  
  
Auron decided not to respond to this, and rested his hand carefully on 471's forehead. Her temperature seemed normal.  
  
*********  
  
BANG BANG BANG!  
  
The sound of someone hammering on the door woke Pleakley with the image of an axe-wielding maniac coming for him.  
  
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!"  
  
He fell out of his bed with a crash as loud as the banging, and sat up straight in his yellow and purple-striped pajamas.  
  
"Go away!", he shouted shrilly and shakily.  
  
"You're not getting my wigs or umbrellas!"  
  
From outside, Stitch called;  
  
"Pleakley, it's me! Open up!"  
  
The stinging of fear leaving his body and the humiliation made Pleakley shake as he got up.  
  
"Oh-h!", he quaked angrily.  
  
Walking in pink, fluffy slippers, he made his way to the door and threw it open.  
  
"Do you have any idea what time it is?!", he fumed.  
  
"There are other people trying to sleep here, y'know!"  
  
Stitch growled in frustration.  
  
"Come on, Pleakley!", he said through clenched teeth.  
  
"Where's Jumba?"  
  
"'Where's Jumba'?!", Pleakley repeated furiously.  
  
"'Where's Jumba?' 'Where's Jumba?' All the time, people want to know where Jumba is! Why won't anybody ask where I am once in a while?! Am I not part of this family anymore?!"  
  
Before Stitch could respond to this, a shadow in the shape of Jumba appeared behind Pleakley.  
  
"Vhat's going on?", he asked, taking his nightcap from his hand.  
  
"Vhat's wrong?"  
  
"Jumba!", Stitch called, sliding passed Pleakley.  
  
"We need you up at the house!"  
  
"Vhat's happening?", Jumba asked as Stitch grabbed him by the hand.  
  
"Vhat's the emergency?"  
  
"We found...Auron brought...she's up at...oh, just come with me, would you?"  
  
"Aright, alright", Jumba agreed, shivering as a cold night breeze swept into the shackhouse.  
  
"Let me get my coat."  
  
"Grab your medical bag while you're at it", Stitch suggested.  
  
Jumba sighed with a 'who-got-beat-up-now?' expression and took the brown, leather-bound bag from the table and headed towards the door.  
  
"And what about me?!", Pleakley raged.  
  
"Am I excluded from this too?!"  
  
Without answering, Stitch and Jumba shut the door behind them.  
  
*********  
  
Still on the couch, 471 [who had stopped moaning] was unaware of Jumba opening her eyelid to shine a light upon her purple-encircled pupil.  
  
The professor let her eye fall shut again as he gently took her small, clawed hand into his own and checked her pulse. He nodded curtly after a while and let her go again.  
  
"She's alright", he concurred to the anxious audience peeking over his shoulder while he removed a stethoscope from around his neck.  
  
"Mild state of shock...a concussion perhaps, but nothzing life- threatening."  
  
Everybody exhaled in relief and sat back. Stitch helped sidle Twyla into the cozy armchair, where she sighed heavily and gently felt her enlargening stomach.  
  
"I think it's almost time", she whispered to Stitch as the others kept their attention on 471.  
  
"Why would she be here?", Peka was asking.  
  
"The last time we saw her was...well, back at the lab."  
  
"I zhink", Jumba said.  
  
"The only true answer ve vill receive iz vhen she vakes up."  
  
He reached into the med-bag and brought out a small tube full of a light- colored liquid. Along with this came a shot, with an empty body used for inserting a tube like the one mentioned.  
  
"What's that?", Lilo asked curiously, leaning forward.  
  
"A little cocktail", Jumba answered.  
  
"She probably vhas in hyper-sleep for zome time. She needs nutrition."  
  
Handling her as gently and carefully as any parent would, he took her arm into his large and, and inserted the needle into the vein in her inner- elbow.  
  
He injected the substance, pressed a small wad of cotton against the insertion point, and pulled the needle back out.  
  
"There", he said, band-aiding the area.  
  
"Now...all ve have to do is vait for her to vake up..."  
  
He stood up and zipped his bag closed professionally.  
  
Nani nodded in her own assent.  
  
"Right", she said, turning to Lilo.  
  
"You're going back to bed."  
  
"Huh?" Lilo said in disbelief.  
  
"I have to go to bed now?"  
  
"That's what I said", Nani replied.  
  
"We're both going back to bed. March."  
  
"But I wanna be here when she wakes up!", Lilo objected.  
  
"You're going to bed now", Nani insisted.  
  
"Tomorrow's a school-day."  
  
"I have to go to school?!", Lilo asked in her premature outrage.  
  
"What about her?"  
  
"The others will be here to look after her", Nani answered, getting tired of the argument.  
  
"Now move it!"  
  
Before the discussion could get ugly, Stitch stepped [verbally] in between them.  
  
"We're going to bed too, Lilo", he told her.  
  
"And if she does wake up, we'll let you know. And you'll see her in the morning too, right?"  
  
Lilo contemplated this matter for a moment before replying with a simple;  
  
"Okay..."  
  
Nani lead her towards the stairs. Before ascend them, Lilo looked back at the crowd...and began counting carefully on her fingers.  
  
"What are you doing?", Stitch asked.  
  
After a moment, Lilo replied;  
  
"There's six of you altogether; three boys and three girls."  
  
"What about it?", Stitch inquired.  
  
Lilo shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"I just noticed that now everybody can have a girlfriend", she answered.  
  
"You and Twyla, Owen and Peka, and Auron and 471."  
  
Everybody waited for Lilo to disappear upstairs before they turned to Auron and started sniggering.  
  
In a way, Auron didn't know why this was so funny...  
  
***  
  
Owen yawned widely and slid down from the chair he and Peka were sharing.  
  
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm going to make myself a sandwich and go back to bed", he announced.  
  
"Anybody else want one?", he offered, scratching his side.  
  
Everybody shook their heads: Owen's nighttime snack was always a quart of Tabasco over peanut butter-covered ham.  
  
Owen shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"Suit yourselves", he said simply, and made towards the kitchen.  
  
Peka leaned back in her chair, and brought her eyes back to 471 on the sofa. She smiled softly.  
  
"471 was always a bit rowdy", she recalled.  
  
"It seems just like her to arrive with a bang."  
  
Auron looked at Peka.  
  
"Didn't anybody else hear or see the crash?", he asked.  
  
Peka shrugged.  
  
"I guess not", she said.  
  
"We were all asleep."  
  
Stitch nodded earnestly.  
  
"It's a good thing you found her", he told Auron.  
  
Auron nodded curtly and leaned forward onto his knees.  
  
"Do you think anybody else will find the ship?", he suggested.  
  
"I couldn't have been the only one to have seen it."  
  
"I dunno", Peka said, shrugging again.  
  
"Tomorrow, we could go out to the site and...uh, 'clear out' what we can."  
  
"'Clear out'?", Twyla repeated.  
  
"How in the world are we gonna move an entire spaceship?"  
  
Peka smiled assuredly and looked fondly at Auron and Stitch.  
  
"Well, you seem to forget who we have with us", she said confidently.  
  
"With these two studs, we'll be right in business."  
  
"Hey, don't you go saying nice things to my man", Twyla said humorously, putting her arm around Stitch and making him blush.  
  
"You'll give him weird ideas with those compliments."  
  
"Yeah yeah, so we got those two", Said Owen, returning from the kitchen [with a big sandwich in hand].  
  
"What about me? What am I good for?"  
  
"You can push the wheel-barrow", Stitch suggested evilly.  
  
"Har har", Owen said sarcastically as he climbed back into the chair next to Peka.  
  
He offered her a bite ["No, thank you"], and took a huge bite before asking [with his mouth full];  
  
"Y'know, I never really knew 471. What was she like?"  
  
Peka leaned forward [while Auron leaned back] and re-collected her memory.  
  
"She was one of Jumba's favorites", she began.  
  
"Probably one that he was most fond of. Sometimes, he'd even let her eat with him."  
  
"Then again", Twyla inserted.  
  
"Just about anybody could eat with him at least once if they complained long enough; nobody liked the cafeteria very much."  
  
"As I was saying", Peka said in regain.  
  
"She had a lot of privileges that not even Twyla, Stitch, or me had. It's not that she was spoiled...she wasn't seductive or sassy either, but she could usually get anything she wanted from Jumba."  
  
"Sounds like a senior heartbreaker", Auron said, wondering exactly who he had rescued.  
  
Peka shook her head.  
  
"No, not at all", she said.  
  
"I think that Jumba allowed her a lot of things because he liked her very much...probably because she liked him very much. They were very close."  
  
Auron nodded.  
  
"Do you have any idea where she went after the lab?", he asked.  
  
"I don't know", Peka said, scratching her head.  
  
"Twyla and I knew her pretty well, but there was always something secretive about her."  
  
"Before the lab was exposed", Twyla began.  
  
"Jumba had taught us many times what to do if that should happen. Every Experiment had a certain 'escape plan' and a haven prepared where they could flee to. Some of them were teamed up to work cooperatively in this situation...but I'm not sure if 471 ever was."  
  
Auron nodded with interest.  
  
"What do you mean by 'escape plan' and 'haven'?", he asked.  
  
"Well", Peka said.  
  
"It's what the name says. Every Experiment had a way to get out of the lab and out of the vicinity. The 'havens' were safe places where we would have the ability to contact Jumba...but seeing as he was caught, that was pretty much impossible."  
  
"Jumba told us many times that he tried to reach the others from here on Earth", Twyla said.  
  
"But he couldn't find anybody. I'm guessing that when eventually got wind of what had happened, and that Jumba was incarcerated, they just went their own separate ways."  
  
"Some of them might have teamed up like we have", Peka suggested.  
  
"Maybe they started families of their own. They could be anywhere in the galaxy by now."  
  
"Which brings us back to question", Auron said.  
  
"Why is 471 in this part of the galaxy? I'm starting to think that coincidence is out of the picture."  
  
Peka shrugged.  
  
"I don't know", she said.  
  
"Only one person knows, and that's whose unconscious on the couch."  
  
"Jumba said she'll be okay", Twyla said in assurance.  
  
"We'll find out when she wakes up."  
  
Twyla then failed to stifle a yawn and sat up in the chair.  
  
"I'm tired", she declared woozily.  
  
"I'm going to go to bed now."  
  
"Good idea", Stitch said.  
  
"We should all get some sleep."  
  
He jumped down from the recliner and carefully began to help Twyla down.  
  
"Yeah, I'm pretty knocked-out, too", Owen added as he swallowed the last of his midnight-snack.  
  
"I'm going to bed."  
  
"Me too", Peka added.  
  
The two of them jumped down as Stitch had done and landed lightly on the floor [Owen less lightly than Peka].  
  
Peka walked over to 471 with a look of lingering concern in her eyes. She had believed what Jumba had said about her being okay, but a small feeling of worry still stuck in her chest.  
  
"You think she's gonna be alright?", she asked concernedly.  
  
"Relax", Owen replied calmly.  
  
"You heard what the doc said."  
  
Peka nodded uneasily.  
  
"Maybe somebody should stay here...in case she wakes up."  
  
"Well, Auron's gonna be here", Owen stated matter-of-factly.  
  
Peka gave him a look of disapproval, but looked at Auron and asked;  
  
"Do you want to sleep down here?"  
  
She elbowed Owen in the stomach before he could imply the expected;  
  
"Well, he's not sleeping upstairs."  
  
"Sure", Auron said with a shrug.  
  
"Just like last night, I guess."  
  
"You sure?", Peka asked.  
  
Auron nodded.  
  
"Yep."  
  
"If you want, we could fix up another mattress...", Peka offered.  
  
But Auron shook his head and smiled slightly.  
  
"No, that's okay", he said, before adding;  
  
"Besides, you said that somebody should keep an eye on 471."  
  
Peka nodded eventually.  
  
"Okay", she said.  
  
"Good night, I guess."  
  
"Good night", Stitch, Twyla, and Owen chorused.  
  
"Good night", Auron said in return.  
  
The others turned and made for the door. Auron watched them go, and saw Peka throw another glance at him.  
  
"If you need anything....", she said, but disappeared from sight before she finished the sentence.  
  
Auron heard them climbing the stairs, but he didn't eavesdrop, even when he noticed that Owen and Peka were talking about him.  
  
He looked back at 471, still on the couch, and noticed the staling, lingering expression of pain on her face.  
  
He sighed heavily and moved over to the couch. He pulled a red flannel blanket from beneath the cushions [a storing-place considered normal] and unfolded. As carefully and as feather-like as he could, he spread the blanket over 471, who didn't seem to mind.  
  
Auron looked down on her, and felt an emotion of pity towards her. Somehow, it felt wrong to him to move on and about while she had no idea that time was passing her by.  
  
"Maybe I should knock myself out, too", he suggested mentally, before forgetting it.  
  
Auron switched off the lights, leaving the living room in a moonlit- darkness. He sidled himself into the recliner, and his adjusting eyes returned to 471.  
  
He knew that getting sleep wasn't going to be easy...especially with this strange new feeling surging through his body...  
  
Why did he feel this way about 471? He didn't think it was just because she was good-looking...he didn't think that was the case.  
  
He didn't know the answer. He didn't know why he felt himself being pulled towards 471...and he didn't know why he was feeling so tired all of the sudden...  
  
*********  
  
"No! Please no!"  
  
Auron awoke with such a jolt that he almost fell from the chair.  
  
"Don't-! Please stop!"  
  
Auron's eyes adjusted to the darkness quickly. 471 was writhing on the sofa, the blanket on the floor. It looked as if she were in the midst of a great nightmare. The expression on her face was almost painful, even through her closed eyes.  
  
"Don't do it!", she cried agonizingly.  
  
"Leave him alone! Please!"  
  
Auron jumped up and ran over to her.  
  
"No! Don't!"  
  
It was as if she were having a fit. Her clawed hands kept reaching out for something Auron could not see, and tears were leaking from behind her eyelids.  
  
Auron's first intention was to go for help, but he didn't want to leave her alone.  
  
"Oh dammit!", he cursed under his breath.  
  
"Help! Somebody!", he called out.  
  
"I need help!"  
  
He called over the cries of 471, who might've already have woken them.  
  
Unsure what to do, Auron tried to restrain the struggling Experiment.  
  
"It's alright", he tried to say as he held her down by her shoulders.  
  
"You're gonna be okay!"  
  
"No!", 471 wailed.  
  
"Don't do it!"  
  
Auron wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing. Now, 471 was struggling against him; her hands grasping at his arms, her claws digging into his skin.  
  
"SOMEBODY HELP ME!", he shouted louder than before.  
  
He looked up, and saw light from upstairs creep down the stairs with a click.  
  
Just then, 471 stopped struggling.  
  
Auron looked down, and saw that her eyes were open.  
  
471 looked up at him, and kneed him in the crotch.  
  
*********  
  
[A/N: well, how's that for a start to a relationship?  
  
On a serious note, I have to thank for Faith for her kind words to me. Faith, I really appreciate your support. You really inspired me to get my butt writing with your review. Thanks a bunch!  
  
I'd like to clear something up with Guitar_Stitch [no, I'm not gonna get nasty]. I use the word 'audible' in a situation like that because I mean to point out something in exclamatory. I know it's grammatically incorrect, but it's just my style.  
  
I'll get started on the new chapter ASAP! Aloha!] 


	10. Awakened

Love and Burden  
by The Great Red Dragon  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Auron wasn't sure what was happening. He had never been kneed in between the legs before. Nobody had ever tried to knee him between the legs before, so he didn't expect to be kneed between the legs.  
But when 471 rammed her knee as hard as she could in his crotch, the pain was tremendous. He had never experienced this type of pain, and he wasn't sure what to do. All he knew was that the situation was bad bad bad, and it wasn't going to get better soon.  
  
But before he could fall backwards like a paralyzed crab, 471 jumped up from the couch and knocked him down, her long tail guiding her swift movements.  
  
Her eyes traced around the room furiously.  
  
"Where am I?", her mind screamed.  
"What happened?"  
  
Her brain surged with the newly acquired consciousness, and she didn't thrown her victim on the floor a second look. Her instincts took over, and she bolted towards the only obvious exit [through the doorway that led out of the living room], and ran smack into somebody else.  
  
"Umph!", the creature grunted as it was knocked down, with 471 on top.  
  
471 didn't care who this was either. As far as she was concerned, it was a friend of the one she had knocked down seconds ago, and she wasn't about to stick around.  
She pushed off the creature's stomach [elicting another cry of pain], and soared towards another doorway...  
  
But this time, she was the one being tackled.  
  
Somebody hit her in midair and slammed her right to the ground. Before she could jump away, she felt her body being restrained by more than one set of arms.  
Out of instinct, she struggled viciously against who was holding her. She could hear commotional-talking going on around her, but her instinctive ferocity blocked it all out. She didn't even know if it was a language she understood. She just knew that she had to get free. Viciously, she bit into the creature's arm.  
  
Stitch was more than surprised at the sheer, panicked power that 471 was unleashing. He was on his back, with her on top of him, and even though he was maintaining a hold on her, he was trying hard to hold in the pain she was causing with her continuous kicking and biting.  
Peka had been literally run over by 471, but Stitch didn't know how she was doing. He didn't have time to spare to hope that she was alright.  
  
"471!", he said through clenched teeth.  
"It's me! 626!"  
  
But 471 was oblivious to his voice. Not only that, but the searing pain in his forearm told him that she had broken his skin.  
  
"DAMMIT!", he shouted as the tension finally became too much, and let go of 471.  
  
She sprang up with awesome stamina, ready to run again-  
_POW!!!_  
  
471 promptly fell back down, right on her behind.  
Her nose was bleeding.  
Peka was standing above her, biting her tongue to keep in the pain in her knuckles.  
She had punched 471 as hard as she could in the face.  
  
There was silence. The only sound was the combination of their breathing. 471 was looking audibly blank and bemused, as if her mind had turned itself off. She put her clawed hand to her nose, and touched the blood. She looked at her crimson-marked finger and blinked several times.  
She looked up slowly at Peka, and blinked again.  
  
Peka [who had lowered her fist] looked down at her, suddenly worried that she had hurt her.  
  
"...471?", she said quietly.  
  
471 blinked once more...before answering [in Turian];  
  
"...314?"  
  
Peka breathed a sigh of relief.  
She looked into 471's confused eyes, and once again found a soul she remembered; who also remembered her.  
But there wasn't much time for reflection now; 471 was looking around the place nervously and insecurely.  
  
"W-Where are we?", she stammered anxiously.  
  
"It's okay", Peka said as reassuringly as she could.  
"You're safe."  
  
471's eyes traced around the house skittishly.  
  
"Jumba", she said in a tone of the semi-scared.  
"Jumba's supposed to be here. Where is he?"  
  
"Slow down", Peka said as she stepped towards the confused Experiment.  
"You're okay - oh no..."  
  
She had just caught sight of Stitch, who had sat up and was nursing the hideous bite-mark on his forearm. His purple blood was flowing from the gashed wound, possibly making it look worse than it was.  
  
"Stitch!", Peka exclaimed, hurrying towards him, past 471.  
  
"Stitch?", 471 repeated, turning around.  
"Who's Stitch?"  
  
Experiment 626 groaned in answer.  
Peka kneeled down next to him, and made to inspect his arm. He held it out of reach, and muttered very lowly;  
  
"Don't touch it..."  
  
"Oh!", 471 exclaimed as she recognized the familiar face.  
"626!...what happened to your arm?"  
  
Stitch threw her a look that suggested she had made a bad joke [even though she honestly did not remember her acts of rage], but Peka perked up.  
  
"What happened to Auron?", she asked.  
  
"Who?", 471 responded.  
  
Peka's face lit up in fear, and got up and raced to the living room.  
  
"Oh no...", Stitch moaned as he foresaw the worst.  
  
He turned towards 471 and said;  
  
"What did you DO to him?"  
  
Auron noticed that his left arm didn't seem to be working correctly. He would've used his right arm, but the hand on the end of it was held at the place where throbbing waves of pain were emitting from. His dysfunctioning left hand was trying to pull his body up onto the sofa.  
The situation got worse once he realized that Peka had entered the room. Even though the pain was still excruciating and tremendous, he didn't want her to see him with his hand in his private area.  
  
So he grabbed his head with both hands instead.  
  
Peka stopped in her tracks. She had to stare; the situation was so strange:  
Auron was sitting in front of the sofa, his legs spread apart, both hands grasping the sides of his head, and an ever-shifting expression of contorted agony on his face.  
  
"...Auron?", she finally asked after a while.  
"Are you alright?"  
  
Auron responded without ever parting his teeth;  
  
"Ofcothumokay."  
  
"What happened?", Peka asked, realizing that he must be hurt.  
"What did...what did she do to you?"  
  
"Uhhhhhhhhh...", he moaned in response.  
  
Peka wasn't sure what to do as she stood in front of him. He was doing strange things: his legs moved uneasily, and his hands kept sliding slightly down his face [before he pulled them back].  
  
...Suddenly, it dawned on her.  
  
"...Auron?", she said quietly.  
"Did she...uh...did 471...I...did she-"  
  
Auron cut her off;  
  
"SHE KNEED ME IN THE CROTCH, ALRIGHT?!"  
  
This sudden outburst drained all his strength of resistance, and his hands flew to his pelvic region.  
At this, 471 and Stitch [still holding his arm] came into the living-room. When Auron saw 471, he scooted away as far as he could, as if afraid that she would do it again.  
  
471's eyes widened in surprise as she saw him...and it wasn't because of where his hands were.  
"What's he doing here?", she thought to herself.  
  
There came another thunder of footsteps down the stairs. A second later, Nani and Lilo, followed by Owen [who was assisting Twyla in Stitch's absence].  
  
"Who're they?", 471 asked cautiously as she caught sight of the species that were unfamiliar to her, and stepped behind Peka.  
  
"Don't worry; they're family", Peka replied reassuringly, over Lilo's happy cry of;  
  
"She's awake! She's awake!"  
  
471 said nothing to this...but she looked even more surprised when she caught view of Owen and Twyla.  
  
"YOU'RE here too?!", she said in disbelief.  
  
"Better believe it", Owen replied with a grin.  
  
"Nice to see you again, as well", Twyla irked, the stress weighing down on her pregnancy.  
  
471 looked around herself, and saw so many faces, both new and old. She felt confused and harassed; everything was happening all at once, so fast. It was too much for her.  
Then, she heard Owen [still 625 to her] call out;  
  
"I'll go get Jumba!"  
  
She looked up, and saw Owen, obviously trying to be helpful, heading towards the door.  
  
"Jumba?", she asked.  
"You're getting Jumba?"  
  
"Yeah", Owen said, stopping in mid-step.  
"I'll just go get him from-"  
  
"No need. I'm already here."  
  
Everybody was caught by surprise. They all turned, and found the Evil Genius emerging into the room.  
  
"I heard you scream", he informed Peka abd the others everybody, and answering the obvious question.  
  
471's face lit up with a kind of longful joy and as she saw the face of her long-lost creator/father.  
  
"Jumba!", she cried exuberantly, and, in a move that amazed everybody, sprang forth on her tail, right into the arms of the large alien.  
  
Jumba caught her, and wrapped his trunk-like arms around her body tightly.  
Everybody watching was touched by their reunion.  
  
471 shed a tear as she buried her face into Jumba's shoulder:  
Her creator was there. Everything was going to be alright.  
  
"Jumba...Jumba...", she continuously whispered, barely loud enough for her creator to hear.  
  
She felt Jumba stroke her back soothingly.  
  
"It's alright", Jumba cooed quietly, for only her ears to hear.  
"You're safe now."  
  
471 nodded into Jumba's shoulder, and tiny smile spread across her lips.  
She raised her head slightly, and whispered into his ear;  
  
"I need to talk with you."  
  
"Alone", she added as Jumba looked at her, a bit confused.  
  
"Now?", he asked.  
  
471 nodded.  
  
"Yes; alone."  
  
Jumba nodded back, and turned towards the kitchen, the Experiment still in his arms.  
  
"Hey, where're you going?", Owen asked, asking everyone's question.  
  
"Private", Jumba answered quickly and curtly.  
  
The others tried to follow, but there was just no arguing as Jumba closed the door behind him, followed by the click of the lock.  
  
"Well, that's just wonderful", Nani commented sarcastically.  
  
Back by the couch, on the floor, Auron was very glad that attention had been diverted away from him.  
  
Handling her as carefully as if she were a young child, Jumba sat 471 onto the edge of the table.  
She smiled at him as he did.  
  
"Thank you", she said quietly.  
  
Jumba grabbed a tissue box and set it down next to her.  
  
"Clean your face, alright?", he asked her kindly.  
  
She nodded again as he turned to get a cup from the cupboard. 471 wiped the tears from her eyes as Jumba filled the cup with cold tap-water. He beckoned for her to take it, and she did.  
She gulped most of it down in one swallow. Jumba made to get more, but she motioned that it had been enough.  
  
"Alright", he said with a smile.  
  
The alien pulled up a chair and sat down in front of her. 471 noticed how much taller he still was, even though she sat on a higher perch.  
She looked into Jumba's eyes, and felt to remember everything from her life. Until late, her life had been different than that in the lab...it all came back to her so fast, with an onslaught of emotion.  
The tears began to build in her eyes again, and Jumba's eyes widened in concern.  
  
"It's alright", he assured her, wiping the tears away.  
"But are you?"  
  
She nodded silently, once again showing her smile.  
  
"I'm just so glad to see you again."  
  
Jumba smiled back at her as she said this.  
  
"I am happy to be seeing you, too", he told her.  
  
He reached out his right hand and rested his palm on the side of her face. She closed her eyes blissfully and nuzzled it, as though it were a large stuffed animal.  
Jumba was touched by the display of love somebody had for him.  
But she had wanted to talk as well.  
  
"So...", he began slowly as he withdrew his arm.  
"Vhat happened?"  
  
471 blinked in slight misunderstanding.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Vell...", Jumba continued, still smiling.  
"I vhas alvays trying to get in contact vith you after...vell, you know vhat."  
  
"Oh", said 471 in realization.  
  
"Tell me vhat happened to you after ve were uncovered...tell me everything."  
  
471 looked down in remembrance, her eyes half-closed...and then nodded.  
She swallowed heavily, and looked up at Jumba.  
  
"Two days after you disappeared, the alarm went off...somebody had broken into the lab. We all knew that the Council must've caught you.  
The guys that you selected did what you instructed them and erased all traces of your experimentation."  
  
Jumba smiled slightly.  
  
"Zhey did, they zhey?", he asked amusedly, in good nature.  
  
471 nodded.  
  
"Yeah", she said.  
"While they did that, the rest of us all got into our groups and through the maze and into the hangar...and into the ships."  
  
471 stopped to take a quick breath.  
  
"I was paired with 501 and 366...in capsule 12", she continued.  
  
"We had a perfect departure...it took us less than two hours to reach Kenor Loch, that space-station. We met up with a hundred more Experiments, the rest of them later, and we waited for days to hear from you...but we never did."  
  
"They locked me up", Jumba explained, almost apologizing.  
"626 escaped, and zhey be sending me after him; to this planet. Zhey did not allow me to come back, and I could never be getting in contact vith you..."  
  
"Yeah, we realized that after the first month", 471 said, with the slightest trace of sarcasm.  
  
"Vhat happened zhen?", Jumba questioned.  
  
471 sighed.  
  
"Well, you know how some of the guys are...", she said, somewhat offhandedly.  
"Everybody wanted to be the leader, one thing led to another, and we eventually split up."  
  
She shook her head lowly.  
  
"Some of them thought that we would never see you again", she said.  
"They said we were out on our own now, and some of them made out on their own."  
  
Jumba rubbed his forehead with a heaving sigh.  
  
"Oh, no..."  
  
"But most of us stuck together!", 471 pointed out, as if wanting to cheer him up.  
"We knew that so many of us couldn't stay on Kenor Loch, so we split up into groups and pretty much just spreadout."  
  
"I wasn't part of a big group", she continued.  
"Just me and one other Experiment teamed up."  
  
"Oh", Jumba said, perking up.  
"Tell me, who vhas zhis lucky Experiment?"  
  
Knowing her nature, Jumba expected her to roll her eyes and tell him to cut it out...but instead, her face fell. She looked at the ground, with an expression of sorrow.  
  
"I-I'm sorry", Jumba said quickly.  
"I shouldn't have-"  
  
"No", 471 interrupted him.  
"It's not your fault...it's mine..."  
  
The tears were coming back to her face. She sobbed quietly.  
  
"No, no!", Jumba said, taking her hand in his.  
"I- vell - vhat-..."  
  
471 looked up at him. As she did, a tear fell from her eye.  
  
"It's what I wanted to talk to you about...what happened."  
  
Jumba leaned forward and squeezed her hand.  
  
"Tell me", he said to her.  
  
471 sniffed quietly and looked away.  
  
"366 was in my capsule", she said.  
"But...but we were together since before that."  
  
"366?", Jumba repeated.  
"Him...and you?"  
  
471 nodded.  
  
"I should never have gotten close to him...I should never have gotten close to anybody...", she said mournfully.  
"But I did...and then...he was gone."  
  
Her head turned slowly, and she looked Jumba in the eyes.  
  
"We were hunted, Jumba", she told him, her voice lower.  
"All of us were...all of the Experiments.  
366 and me kept in contact with everybody we could...we should've known something was wrong when they didn't reply...first them, and then 366-..."  
  
She trailed off, her voice becoming tear-choked again.  
Jumba pulled her against his body and held her.  
  
"Shhh...", he cooed quietly.  
"It's alright...it's alright..."  
  
471 gasped a choking sob and looked up at Jumba's face with tear-shined eyes.  
  
"They killed him, Jumba", she said so quietly that it was difficult to hear.  
  
"They killed the others, and then him..."  
  
"Who did?", Jumba asked.  
"Who did Zhis?"  
  
4711 opened her mouth to reply, but only her sad, depraved sadness gagged out. She thrust her head against Jumba's chest and sobbed into his overcoat.  
The Evil Genius held his offspring close, wanting so much to comfort her. Everything that she had said came as a complete surprise to him. He wanted to know more...but he wasn't about to force it out of her.  
But 471 looked back up at him, her face as wet as rag.  
  
"I'm - I'm sorry", she cried quietly.  
"It's just that...I loved 366."  
  
"It's okay...", Jumba continued to coo.  
"You don't have to tell me..."  
  
"I loved him", 471 said, shaking her head slowly.  
"And he loved me...he cared for me...protected me...I even had a name when I was with him."  
  
Jumba blinked at this.  
  
"A name?", he repeated.  
  
471 nodded.  
  
"Yes", she said.  
"He called me...he called me...Reihana."

* * *

_"When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful  
A miracle  
Oh it was beautiful, magical  
  
And all the birds in the trees, they'd be singing so happily  
Joyfully  
Oh, playfully, watching me  
  
But then they sent me away  
Taught me how to be sensible  
Logical  
Oh, responsible, practical"_  
  
_The Logic Song_,  
Supertramp


	11. Reihana's Tale

Love and Burden  
  
by The Great Red Dragon  
  
***  
  
Chapter 11  
  
***  
  
Wind from an unknown source whipped silently along a long, metallic maze of corridors. Tall, twisting panels formed the compacted walkways through a desolate space-station, set so far in the back of the galaxy that it had been unspotted by everybody.  
  
Low-watt, overhead light-panels spaced far apart from eachother, rendering long spaces of corridor in near darkness.  
  
A piece of garbage, floating out-of-orbit in space. An empty husk, devoid of any signs of life.  
  
That is...almost.  
  
***  
  
Somewhere close to the station's ancient, rusted hangar, a tall, narrow door creaked and hissed open horizontally. It stayed open for almost half a minute before any indication was made that the door hadn't opened spontaneously, by itself.  
  
A face appeared but a few feet above the floor: a well-defined half-circle head, bearing a large nose and mouth, and plain white, black-pupiled eyes. Black fur lined the eyes and ears, and enclosed dark-orange fur.  
  
The creature's large ears were up and alert, and its eyes were wide. Its enhanced vision saw further down the corridor than other could: it appeared to be clear.  
  
The nozzle of a plasma rifle appeared. The creature cocked the weapon around the doorway and activated the laser-guided motion-scanner. The tiny digital screen showed no sign of movement.  
  
366 stepped out into the whole doorway. Once again, he scanned it for any sign of movement: there wasn't any.  
  
"Okay", he said under his breath, turning his head sideways to face somebody.  
  
"It's clear."  
  
471 stepped behind him. Her face showed more anxious concern than his. She was close to shaking, and it wasn't because of the cold.  
  
The wind breezed against her back, sending a shiver up her spine. She stepped closer to 366, and rested a hand on his shoulder for support.  
  
"Nago...", she said quietly, and unsurely.  
  
366 turned his head in consent to his name. He switched hands holding the plasma rifle and rested the free one over 471's.  
  
His Reihana's hand.  
  
"It's okay", he replied, in a deeper voice that had been masked before.  
  
"Let's keep moving."  
  
The pair of them stepped over the metal footer of the doorway and into the next corridor. Nago turned around and hit the switch that shut the door, and it fell closed with a bit more cracking and grinding than it had when it had opened. Nago made sure that he properly locked it before thinking of anything else.  
  
"Let's move", he said to Reihana, starting a hustled walk through the next passage, holding her by the hand.  
  
Reihana kept up at a good pace, but each step she took pulsed a feeling of dread through her body.  
  
Their ship had been damaged by another [attacked]. They had been chased down to this space station. They were being tracked [hunted] by somebody. More than one.  
  
The hunters.  
  
Five days before, they had lost all contact with their Experiment friends. The day before, Experiment 267 had voiced some personal concern about feeling uneasy. He felt as if somebody was approaching him. He had felt it on the back of his neck, and in the corner of his mind...  
  
He said he was going to visit them, but that was the last they ever heard of him.  
  
Reihana didn't want to believe it, but she knew that 267 was gone.  
  
***  
  
Reihana sobbed quietly, and a tear parted her eyes. Nago appeared unaware of this, as he continued to pull her down the corridor.  
  
She didn't blame him, though. Chances were that he was aware of her every feeling, condition, and emotion...but he had to focus on keeping both of them alive. Rei saw his finger press lightly against the trigger of the plasma rifle, as if to keep himself even more alert.  
  
They came to another door, and they played the same procedure as before. Nago made sure the area was secure before allowing Rei through the door. Once again, he double-checked that the door was sealed and digitally-locked before moving on.  
  
They moved further and further through the space-station, noticing how the path slowly turned and circled; possibly inward, to the center of the station.  
  
Reihana heard Nago continuously mumbling and cursing under his breath. She wondered if even he knew where he was going.  
  
"Goddamn, stupid maze...", she heard him mutter.  
  
"Moving too slow, much too slow...'be nice if they gave us just a hint where we are..."  
  
He tugged at Rei's wrist impatiently.  
  
"Come on", he hissed as she sped up a bit.  
  
Pressure was building in her mind. This was too much for her to handle.  
  
She closed her eyes, and tried hard to remember what it was like before.  
  
...Indeed, it was hard to believe that less than two days ago, they had been lying in eachother's arms in a bed of comfortable fabric; allowing their love to flow freely.  
  
Rei loved Nago because he loved her. Aside from Jumba, she had never known anybody who would go to the end of the world for her, feel her every emotion, quell her every fear, and love her like a dream.  
  
Nago could do all of this.  
  
He pulled back his natural arrogance for his love for Reihana. Underneath, he was a soft, understanding soul who was more than willing to share his life with his soul mate.  
  
***  
  
But this was not the Nago she saw before her now. Nago was trying as hard as he could to tell himself that he was in control of the situation, and not afraid. But Rei could feel his tension as well as her own, by the way he moved, by the way his sweat trickled off the tips of single hairs, and by the way he firmly held her hand; it almost hurt  
  
***  
  
Finally, with her wall of stress about the burst, Reihana stopped abruptly and slumped against the wall.  
  
"Wha-?!", Nago said in surprise, as he lost his grip on her hand.  
  
He stared at her for a moment, as if trying to figure out what was going on...then reached for her shoulder.  
  
"Come on!", he urged hastily.  
  
"We've got to keep moving!"  
  
"I can't", Reihana sobbed quietly, as tears rolled down her cheeks.  
  
"Of course you can!", Nago said impatiently.  
  
"Just stop your crying and let's move it!"  
  
"I can't...I can't...", Rei repeated in crying tones.  
  
"Look, dammit!", Nago said, now unmistakably angry.  
  
"They're coming! We have to move NOW!"  
  
"Nago!", Reihana cried back.  
  
"I can't! I can't go!"  
  
And then, as her strength gave way, she collapsed into a crouched heap, whimpering uncontrollably.  
  
Nago looked down at her in frustration. In his mood he would've liked nothing better than to throw her over his shoulder and carry her out like a Neanderthal. Honestly, why in the Hell was she acting up like this?!  
  
But then...his expression lightened.  
  
The exasperated frown loosened from his face, and was replaced by a look of 'what-in-the-world-am-I-doing?'.  
  
He dropped the plasma-rifle to the floor, and knelt down to his mate. As gently as he could, he enveloped her shaking body in his strong arms. He held her tenderly against his body, letting her cry herself out on his shoulder.  
  
"Shhh...", he cooed to her, stroking her back with one hand.  
  
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry..."  
  
Rei sniffed and put her arms around his neck. He sobbed into Nago's neck, and sobbed even harder when she felt him press his lips against her cheek.  
  
Nago kissed her and held her tighter. Warmer.  
  
"I love you", he whispered into her ear.  
  
"I'll never leave you behind."  
  
Reihana released her grip and looked up at him. She recognized his eyes once again, and they showed all the love and care in the universe. She recognized the individual she loved, and who meant the world to her.  
  
Nago smiled at her...but she felt that she was unable to return it.  
  
"I'm sorry", she said quietly.  
  
"I'm sorry I..."  
  
Nago stopped her, his smile still in place.  
  
"It's not your fault", he told her.  
  
"I should never have forgotten what you meant to me...I never will again."  
  
Reihana wiped away some of her tears with the back of her arm.  
  
"I'm...I'm just so scared", she admitted.  
  
"I'm afraid that...that we won't-"  
  
Nago stopped her before she could finish the sentence.  
  
"Reihana", he said, in a voice firmer than before.  
  
"Whoever, or whatever they are, I swear to God that I won't let them hurt you. I will get us out of here if it's the last thing I do."  
  
Reihana sniffed again.  
  
"That's what I'm afraid of", she confessed.  
  
Nago shook his head, and slowly leaned forward. Gently, passionately, his lips met hers, and he kissed her deeply.  
  
"I'm not leaving you", he promised as they broke away.  
  
"I'll always be with you."  
  
Slowly, Rei smiled at him...and then nodded.  
  
***  
  
BANG!  
  
Reihana and Nago's head snapped towards the door from which they had entered.  
  
There was a gigantic dent in it. Somebody was trying to get in.  
  
BANG!  
  
The dent became larger.  
  
"Shit!", Nago cursed in frustration, grabbing his weapon and pulling Rei to her feet.  
  
"We've got to move!", he said urgently, pushing her along.  
  
"Move, move move!"  
  
They raced down the corridor, their new speed fueled by fear and adrenaline.  
  
Nago threw a glance behind him as they reached the next door, and he swore that he heard the rare sound of ripping metal.  
  
He pushed Reihana through the doorway and hit the locking mechanism. It slid shut as they continued to run.  
  
"C'mon, Rei!", he urged.  
  
Reihana moved as quickly as she could, anxiety flooding her body.  
  
They had barely reached the next door, when they heard the previous being smashed open.  
  
"How can they DO that!?!", he thought insanely to himself.  
  
But that question didn't matter at the moment.  
  
They were close. He was almost positive that they were approaching the hangar. His only hope was that they would find a working ship and make a getaway...it would be a miracle, in such an old space station, but it was the only chance.  
  
Through each corridor they ran, the cold shiver on his neck became greater. It was as if he could sense their presence getting closer, even though he had no idea how far behind they were.  
  
"Why can I feel this?", he thought to himself.  
  
"What's going on?!"  
  
His moment of thought cost him greatly.  
  
In his nano-second of absence of thought, he and Rei ran through another doorway...they were halfway down the corridor when he realized that he had forgotten to lock it.  
  
"No!", he shouted in rage and skidded to a halt.  
  
He let go of Rei's hand, and ran back as fast as he could.  
  
"Nago-", Reihana tried to call out.  
  
"STAY THERE!", he shouted back, and raised his weapon.  
  
He came closer to the door...and finally saw what was coming for them.  
  
Rei did not see what he saw. She was not right in front of whatever it was. She had not fought to be quicker than it, and her eyes had not locked with it's...but she did see something approach the open doorway.  
  
Nago made it there first. He reached out, and hit the lock as hard as he could.  
  
As he did, Reihana heard the ominous sound of a weapon being fired...and it wasn't Nago's.  
  
BWASH!  
  
The blast it Experiment 366 with an unheard of force. He was thrown back with the force of being hit with a sledgehammer, so fast that he was unable to let go of his own weapon; his fingers had locked around it. Specks of green blood splattered the walls encasing the doorway. Before they began to slide towards the floor, Nago hit the metal floor with a thud of the unforgiving metal.  
  
"NAGO!!!", Reihana shouted in horror.  
  
He lay only a few feet from her, motionless.  
  
She ran to him as fast as her legs would carry. His expression was contorted as she kneeled down next to him. Blood trickled from his nose, and flowed freely from his mouth. His chest was almost mutilated, leaving it a pallet of mangled blood, flesh and fur. One of his legs twitched uncontrollably.  
  
Tears began to flow hysterically from her eyes. Her hands shook, unsure whether to touch him or not. Her mind wrestled to accept the fact that he was dead.  
  
But he wasn't.  
  
His eyes shot open. They were the only things not painted with blood.  
  
His pupils focused unsteadily on Reihana. He tried to open his mouth, but he choked on his own blood.  
  
"Oh God, oh God!", Reihana breathed,  
  
"Oh no, oh no, oh no! - oh, Nago...!"  
  
"Reihana...", Nago breathed, each syllable costing him an unbelievable amount of energy.  
  
"Reihana...Reihana...Reihana..."  
  
"D-don't talk", Rei said shakily, her hand fluttering over him, wondering where she could touch him without hurting him.  
  
Nago swallowed disobediently and opened his mouth again.  
  
"Reihana...", he said raspilly, chokingly.  
  
"We're...we're close to the hangar...I can feel it..."  
  
"Yes, we're almost there!", Rei said.  
  
"I'm going to get you to a ship, and we're going to get out of here!"  
  
"No...", Nago breather, as more blood gushed up from his mouth.  
  
"No...no...you go...you go...leave me..."  
  
"No!", Reihana said.  
  
"I'm not leaving you!"  
  
"Reihana...please..."  
  
"NO!", she yelled, almost shrilly.  
  
"I'm not going to leave you here to die!"  
  
...She then noticed that there were tears in Nago's eyes...and they weren't from pain.  
  
"Rei...", he said, his speech beginning to slur.  
  
"Please...I want you to run away."  
  
"No...no...", Reihana sobbed, shaking her head.  
  
"I can't leave you here...we belong together, don't you remember?"  
  
Nago coughed quietly as more blood decorated his lips.  
  
"Please...give me my gun", he requested.  
  
Reihana sobbed and cried as much as she had before, but did as she was told, and laid the grip in Nago's hand.  
  
Nago swallowed as hard as he could, and tried to clear his mouth.  
  
"Reihana...", he said quietly, as his mate's tears dripped into his open wound.  
  
"Reihana...I love you."  
  
Rei nodded quietly, and sobbed as her tears continued to stream.  
  
Nago gathered what strength he had left, and took her hand in his.  
  
He looked deep into her eyes, and spoke to her from his heart.  
  
"I love you", he told her.  
  
"I love you more than anybody in the universe, and anybody in existence. You're my life...you mean everything to me."  
  
"So do you", Reihana said quietly through a sob.  
  
"I'll always be with you", Nago promised her.  
  
"And I'll always love you...no matter what, I'll always love you."  
  
He squeezed her hand gently, and blinked as tears clouded her from him.  
  
"Now go...", he urged one final time.  
  
"Please...go."  
  
Reihana nodded through her cascade of tears. Somehow, she found the strength to stand up. He held his hand as tightly as she could, but as she walked away, their grip on eachother broke.  
  
Reihana could not even hear the banging of the door being broken open. She ran as Nago wished for her to do, all the way to the next door. She opened it, blinded by her tears, and stepped through it.  
  
She turned and looked through it, and saw Nago lying on the ground...his head tilted back, for him to get a final glance of her.  
  
"No matter what", he said, in a whisper that only she could hear.  
  
"I'll always love you...always."  
  
Just then, the door broke open. Reihana didn't see it happen...all she saw was Nago's face, asking her to live, while he died to protect her.  
  
And she did as she was told: she closed the door and locked it; forever remembering the face of her beloved.  
  
*********  
  
Reihana made it to the hangar. Miraculously, she found a ship and boarded it. Without hesitation, she took off, and flew back into the infinity of space. She activated the hyper-drive, and allowed herself to be rendered unconscious by the unbridled shockwave.  
  
In a way, she hoped that she would never wake up.  
  
*********  
  
PS: ...Kinda sad, in my opinion...  
  
I'd like to add now that I've completely revised 'Before Perfection'. I've added some things [for the better], re-written some stuff, and overall improved it. Please check it out.  
  
most extreame priness - Yes, I know Stitch's blood is pink...I just forgot it in the last chapter. Sorry.  
  
Beboots - forgive me for disappointment, but Auron will not be having a relationship with Peka. She's already got Owen...besides, what kind of model would she be for her kids to cheat on their dad?  
  
Okay, I hope the next chapter is up as quickly as this one...but I doubt it. 


	12. Secand Il Mundo

Love and Burden  
  
by The Great Red Dragon  
  
***  
  
Chapter 12  
  
***  
  
Reihana was too emotionally exhausted to stay awake. She now lay curled up on the couch, alone in the living room, while the others discussed the situation for the second time, this time in the kitchen [namely, the other Experiments, with the exception of Aron and Garon].  
  
Peka and Owen sat on the table, while Stitch and Twyla sat in chairs, and Auron sat on a stool on the floor. The five of them sipped at non- decaffeinated coffee [Stitch's own mix], silent in a moment of thoughtfulness.  
  
Jumba had told them about 471's past. They sat contemplating about the newly-discovered Experiment, unsure what to do or say.  
  
They had no idea how to interact with somebody whose love had just been murdered...it was a situation they were not familiar with.  
  
But finally, it was Owen who broke the silence.  
  
"So...", he began offhandedly.  
  
"What now?"  
  
Peka sighed heavily and pushed her mug away.  
  
"Should we talk to her about it?", Stitch suggested.  
  
"No", Peka answered immediately, but not impolitely.  
  
"Why not?", Owen asked, who was sitting next to her.  
  
"I know her", Peka answered, sliding her mug along the table between her hands.  
  
"She's always a bit solitary...I think it's best if she handles this situation alone...if she wants to."  
  
Silently, everybody agreed, and another period of quiet sipping began.  
  
Auron was looking into the depths of his coffee intently.  
  
He was wondering if Jumba's translation of Reihana's story was true...he was hoping it wasn't.  
  
Somebody was chasing her, as well as the other Experiments...somebody who was ruthless in murder and as quiet as a shadow...an unseen wraith.  
  
Why did that remind him so much of the Predator?  
  
The thought of seeing another one of the foul species shook a shiver up his spine with a great deal of shock. He almost dropped his coffee mug.  
  
The other Experiments looked up (actually, down) at him.  
  
"You okay?", Stitch asked.  
  
"Yeah", Auron said, gripping his mug tighter in his hands.  
  
"Just...just a bit tired."  
  
"We should all get some sleep", Twyla declared.  
  
"At least, I don't think I should be staying up this long anymore, what with the baby and all..."  
  
"Speaking of babies", Peka added in.  
  
"Owen shouldn't be staying up late at all; you get all whiny the next day."  
  
Owen faked a laugh sarcastically, and made to stand up. As he did, he accidentally knocked over his coffee cup, and it fell with a noise and began layering the table with coffee.  
  
"O-WEN!", everybody complained, rising up before the decaf could spill onto them.  
  
"Sorry!", the clumsy Experiment apologized hurriedly.  
  
"I'll just - I'll just clean this up now..."  
  
"That's okay", Auron offered, standing up himself.  
  
"Y'all can go to bed. I'm not really tired anyway."  
  
"You'd do that?", Owen asked, smiling gratefully.  
  
"Thanks!"  
  
While the others gave him looks of disapproval ("You know that's your mess"), Auron nodded with a small smile.  
  
"No problem."  
  
Quietly, Stitch, Owen, Peka, and Twyla moved out of the kitchen as Auron grabbed a towel. He jumped onto the chair and began wiping the still- spreading borders of the coffee spill before they could drip from the table.  
  
"Auron?"  
  
Auron looked up from his work: Stitch had poked his head back into the kitchen.  
  
"Hey", he said.  
  
"I never really got a chance to apologize."  
  
"Apologize?", Auron repeated.  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Well...I shouldn't have gotten into the fight with you earlier today."  
  
"You mean yesterday; it turned midnight half an hour ago."  
  
Stitch looked on with some confusion. Auron broke up the feeling with another smile.  
  
"No, I know what you mean", he said.  
  
"You don't have to apologize, I was the one who flipped out."  
  
"You were in a bad condition", Stitch pointed out.  
  
"I shouldn't even have started it."  
  
"Let's just say that we shouldn't have fought at all", Auron implied.  
  
"Alright", Stitch agreed.  
  
"Well...good-night."  
  
He turned to leave, but then Auron remembered his promise to Peka for a love potion and called out;  
  
"Stitch, how do you turn somebody on?"  
  
Too late, he realized his poor choice of words, and was now faced by Stitch with a very queer look.  
  
"......What?"  
  
Auron stood there with his mouth open. He wasn't sure if it was his place to speak about Peka and Owen's problems to anybody else, so his mind raced to make up something else.  
  
"I...uh...I meant...how do you turn the TV on?"  
  
Stitch stared on.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Yeah!", Auron lied on.  
  
"I was wondering how you switch it on; I couldn't figure it out. Is that a new model or something?"  
  
"....You just press the 'power' button", Stitch answered.  
  
"It's that big red one on the control panel...y'know?"  
  
"Oh, so that's how it works!", Auron said in fake surprise.  
  
"There was something I wanted to watch...but I just remembered that 471- that Reihana's in there, so I guess it'll have to wait until tomorrow...wait, that's when we're clearing out the wreckage site, right?"  
  
Stitch knew that there was something out of the ordinary going on, but he had just realized that he was too tired to care.  
  
"Uh, yeah", he said eventually.  
  
"You might wanna get some sleep; it's gonna be hard work."  
  
"Okay!", Auron agreed in a voice that was still far from believable.  
  
"I will!...you wanna get some sleep too?"  
  
"...Sure", Stitch said.  
  
"......Well, good night, then."  
  
"Good night!"  
  
Stitch threw one more 'trying-to-be-nice' look at Auron (who smiled back widely) before leaving, shaking his head.  
  
Once he was sure that Stitch was gone, Auron slapped himself in the face.  
  
A while later, after the mess was cleaned, Auron emerged from the kitchen, shutting the light off behind him.  
  
The entire house was dark now, only visible in dark-blue moonlight.  
  
He headed into the living room. His pack rested in the recliner, where he had left it. Fumbling with it in the darkness, a slight commotion from behind him spun him around in surprise.  
  
He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw (and remembered) that Reihana was asleep on the sofa.  
  
This brought forth question of where he was now going to sleep for he night (or what was left of it).  
  
But now, his gaze fell back upon 471.  
  
He looked at her, and felt a sorrowful pity towards her.  
  
He couldn't begin to think of the pain she must've gone through in the short past. She had lost a loved one...something that Auron dreaded ever happening. What pain was she still going through now, after the trauma?  
  
Auron felt like reaching out and stroking her, like she was a small child...but she wasn't, and he decided against it.  
  
Shouldering his backpack, he made to leave.  
  
"Please don't go."  
  
He jumped in surprise once again, and spun around.  
  
471 wasn't sitting up, but her eyes were open. She looked at Auron, with a sort of longing that Auron couldn't understand.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Please...don't go", Reihana repeated.  
  
"This is a new planet and a new place for me...I don't want to be alone."  
  
"Oh...", Auron said quietly, with understanding.  
  
"That's fine, I can stay."  
  
He walked back over to the chair and dropped his pack again.  
  
"Thank you", 471 said to him.  
  
"No problem", Auron said.  
  
"Do you want something to eat."  
  
"No."  
  
"Something to drink?"  
  
"No, thank you..."  
  
"Alright."  
  
Auron sat down across from her, keeping his expression pleasant.  
  
"You wanna talk about something?", he suggested.  
  
Reihana didn't say anything.  
  
"Can't sleep?", Auron struck up.  
  
471 shook her head.  
  
"The night is already over where I come from....on Turo."  
  
"Kind of a jet-lag, huh?", Auron asked.  
  
"I guess so...", Reihana answered.  
  
"You'll get used to it", Auron said helpfully.  
  
"I did."  
  
"How long have you been here?", Reihana asked.  
  
Auron leaned back in the chair and looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully.  
  
"I'm not sure", he answered.  
  
"About ten months, I think...nine, at least."  
  
"Do you like it here better than Turo?", Reihana inquired.  
  
Auron shrugged his shoulders and answered;  
  
"I guess so...I mean, I never really saw much of Turo, that is."  
  
"Oh...", Reihana said, with the air that she remembered something.  
  
"You're...you're Experiment 541, right?"  
  
Auron smiled.  
  
"So you've heard of me", he said, with some pride in his voice.  
  
"Yeah, that's me."  
  
"I met you before, remember?", Reihana asked.  
  
Auron looked at her quizzically.  
  
"What, you mean in Jumba's lab?", he asked.  
  
"No, I was isolated-"  
  
"I did meet you", 471 insisted.  
  
"Don't you remember? Jumba let me into his lab once, and when he went out of the room, we talk for a second...it wasn't much of a conversation, though."  
  
Auron continued to stare at her...he didn't see how this could be possible...then again...  
  
"Come to think of it", he said.  
  
"I don't really remember much of the lab...just how I escaped, and that's it."  
  
"We talked more than once, but Jumba kept you isolated from all the others. He said you were dangerous..."  
  
She exhaled.  
  
"But he's explained everything now...you know, he's really sorry about what he did to you..."  
  
Auron said nothing to this.  
  
Reihana must've realized that she had touched on something sensitive, and quickly turned quiet. Instead, she made onto a new subject.  
  
"What did you did do when you came to this planet?", she asked.  
  
"It's a long story", Auron replied.  
  
"Very complicated...but I found my own family."  
  
"...Why aren't you with them now?"  
  
Rei thought that she must've asked something else that was out of line, but Auron answered after some thought (he wasn't sure he should mention the Pred to her yet).  
  
"Some problems came up", he said honestly.  
  
"And I had to go away for a while."  
  
"You mean...you had problems with eachother?", Rei ventured.  
  
"No", Auron replied.  
  
"On the contrary, I miss them very much...it's been a long time since I've seen them."  
  
"How long has it been?"  
  
"...About six months."  
  
He lowered his head, and Rei realized that she had once again brought forth something unpleasant.  
  
"I'm...I'm sorry if I'm out of line", she apologized.  
  
"No", Auron said, wiping his nose with the back of his hand vigorously.  
  
"In fact, it might be good that I've stayed away for a while...or else, how would've I met the guys here?"  
  
********* The conversation remained quiet and obsolete. Reihana did her best to stay away from no-touch subjects, but Auron saw into her natural curiousness...it could only mean that she was getting better.  
  
Auron accidentally broke the conversation when he offered to get something to drink. When he returned, cups in hand, 471 was asleep again.  
  
He stood over her once again. He knew her condition was improving, and he had definitely made a friend...but the feeling that he had felt back when he had found her returned to him.  
  
It made him feel uncomfortable and warm. Sweat came to his brow, and his palms became moist. He noticed again how nice she looked, and felt another need to touch her.  
  
But he ran, and spent the night in the kitchen.  
  
******************  
  
[A/N: thank you so much for bearing with me. It took half an eternity to get this chapter done, and it was because of pure laziness. Please forgive me.  
  
First of all, if you're confused about Reihana claiming to have met Auron before, go read the updated 'Until the End' by Took Baggins.  
  
Okay: questions-to-be-answered;  
  
VOID99- Is Nago dead? We'll see...(thanks for the compliments!)  
  
PurpleJoy6- have faith in me! I can't tear love apart! Just wait!  
  
most extreame priness- that was Auron's description from Aron and Garon's POV. Auron looks a lot like Stitch (minus the slits in the ears), and has green eyes (throw in the scars he sustained in 'Before Perfection'.  
  
Okay, I hope the next chapter will be up sooner. Until then, see ya!] 


	13. Laser Convoy

(A/N: thanks for bearing with me while I got this chapter typed. I was gonna put more on, but I decided to just make another chapter; it seemed more evenly-spaced that way)  
  
Love and Burden  
  
by The Great Red Dragon  
  
***  
  
Chapter 13  
  
***  
  
The dreams were getting worse. The faces of the Predators were becoming more vivid; they were no longer just that of the Pred he had fought. Individual features began to show, and the voices changed. The silver scorpion (referred to by the Preds as 'The Dragon') was now mutilating him: ripping his body apart as if he were threshed meat.  
  
And he couldn't wake up.  
  
*********  
  
"RAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGHHHH!!!"  
  
Auron sat up straight, his hand clenched around somebody's throat. He jumped on top of him, ready to slash his head off...  
  
He blinked.  
  
He was holding a plastic, humanoid toy. The plastic crackled and snapped under his grip, and even the painted face seemed to twist in pain.  
  
He looked around...and found Aron and Garon, looking at him with awe from a distance.  
  
He expected them to be fear-stricken at his sudden, ferocious behavior...but, on the contrary, they were holding smiles of awe and wonderment.  
  
"Wow!", Garon exclaimed.  
  
"Cool!", Aron accompanied.  
  
"Can you do that again?", Garon asked.  
  
Auron released a deep sigh from within and sat back down, still holding onto the toy.  
  
"And what is this all about?", he asked them, holding up the action figure.  
  
"Well", Garon said.  
  
"We remember what happened last time we woke you up, and we thought it would be safer if we held out the toy first."  
  
"Miserable little monsters", Auron thought to himself, but refrain from saying it out loud.  
  
"Good plan", he commented, setting the toy down.  
  
"But I think it would be safer if you two didn't try to wake me up anymore...I don't think it's the safest thing to do."  
  
The twins looked thourghly disappointed at this. Auron had never felt this feeling before, but it bothered and almost hurt him to see thee face they were giving him.  
  
"Man, is this what a parent feels like?", he thought to himself.  
  
"Well, Peka's pretty good at deflecting it...my God, they're not even mine!"  
  
"Well, actually...", Garon said, bringing Auron back.  
  
"Mom told us to come upstairs and wake you...but we didn't know you were sleeping in the kitchen."  
  
Aron started to snigger, but was silenced when his brother elbowed him in the stomach. After all, what shame was there to sleeping in the kitchen?  
  
"Wait a minute", Auron said, holding a hand up.  
  
"She sent you 'upstairs'? Where is she?"  
  
"They're all in the basement", Garon answered.  
  
"Even Reihana and doctor Jumba...they're waiting for you."  
  
"Well, why didn't anybody tell me?", Auron said, getting up and jumping down from the table he was sleeping on.  
  
Aron and Garon jumped after him.  
  
"What're they doing?", Auron asked as he strode ahead of them.  
  
"I don't know", Garon answered.  
  
"But they're probably gonna leave us here again..."  
  
Auron managed to suppress the note of feeling-left-out in the pup's voice and headed down the stairs to the basement.  
  
"They're in the garage", Garon told him, still following.  
  
Auron had never been in the garage, but he found his way there easy enough.  
  
"Is this it?", he asked Garon after a while, standing in front of a door.  
  
Garon smiled and nodded eagerly.  
  
Auron had his doubts; he had been led playfully afar twice to different doors.  
  
"Are you sure that this is it?", he asked.  
  
"I don't want to walk in on Nani using the bathroom or anything."  
  
"No, that's it", Garon said, his smile growing ever wider.  
  
"Yes, that's definitely it."  
  
Auron sighed heavily and opened the door, expecting to find another storage room.  
  
But this time, Garon was true to his word. Many sets of eyes turned Auron's way as the door opened with a creak.  
  
"Finally", Owen muttered, yet not unfriendly.  
  
Auron stepped inside, and Garon and his brother slipped in behind him.  
  
The garage-gate was closed, and was empty of the car. An overhead bar-lamp illuminated the other Experiments and Jumba, who was sitting close to Reihana (or, better yet, she was sitting close to him).  
  
"Finally awake?", Stitch commented in greeting.  
  
"Yeah", Auron said apologetically.  
  
"I overslept...what's going on?"  
  
"We're going to go clear up the crash-site", Peka told him, who was sitting next to Twyla on a tool-bench (Stitch and Owen stood against the wall).  
  
"We were discussing while waiting for you."  
  
"We're doing this already?", Auron asked in surprise.  
  
"'Already'?", Stitch repeated with a slight laugh.  
  
"You slept in! It's almost eleven-thirty!"  
  
Auron suppressed a look of even more surprise and nodded.  
  
"Uh...can I ask a question?", Peka asked Jumba, raising her hand.  
  
"Vhat iz it?", the doctor replied.  
  
"Well, how are we going to dispose of that big ship?", Peka asked.  
  
"I mean, it's not like we can just throw it in the trashcan...and we can't move a whole spaceship around the place; we'd be seen."  
  
"Ah!", said Jumba, as if they had reached a point in the conversation that he had been wanting to get to.  
  
"I vill show you!"  
  
He moved past Reihana (who was watching with as much surprise and curiosity as the others), and began throwing hoses and tools off of a large pile of materials in the corner.  
  
"Jumba?", Stitch asked.  
  
"What exactly are you looking for?"  
  
"Watch it!", Owen shouted indignantly as a pair of pliers narrowly missed his head.  
  
"A-ha, I have it!", Jumba exclaimed, moving away from a pile that was now considerably smaller.  
  
Now unearthed, there stood...well, floated what seemed to be a rectangular, yellow metal box. About six feet long and two feet tall, the thing floated noiselessly about a foot of the ground. The Experiments (including Aron and Garon) leaned forward, and found two panels on top of the deck that could open.  
  
"Everybody, look", Jumba said as he reached for a button on the side.  
  
"But look carefully!"  
  
He pressed a small, red knob, and the panels slid open. Immediately, a single wave of bright, crimson light shot out of the growing opening, and the Experiments shielded their eyes quickly.  
  
"No, no; look!", Jumba urged them.  
  
Slowly, one by one, they removed their hand from their faces, and peered inside.  
  
Zipping around above a seemingly endless opening, were about a dozen, bright, angry lasers. These lightning-like bolts zipped and whizzed sharply about, creating a forever-changing threshold for whatever lay beneath it.  
  
"It iz my latest invention!", said Jumba with pride.  
  
"Zhis machine can instantly vaporize any material in zhe universe! Zimply slide zhe waste-metal into zhe lasers, and it vill be gone faster zhan you can see! Vatch!"  
  
He picked up a screwdriver from the floor and held it a foot above the lasers.  
  
"Ready?", he asked, and dropped the appliance into the void.  
  
ZZTZIP!  
  
Indeed, it happened faster than anybody can see. In a slight flash and spark, the screwdriver was gone from sight.  
  
"Wow...", Aron and Garon awed, voicing everybody else's opinions.  
  
"It iz good, iz it not?", Jumba said proudly.  
  
"Ze technology iz quite new; I have been keeping up vith ze latest finds in ze Galactic Council."  
  
"How can you keep up with it if you're here on Earth?", Aron asked curiously.  
  
"Intergalactic news-messaging, young one", Jumba answered.  
  
"I have been using ze computer."  
  
"So that's why the internet's been acting up", Stitch speculated, to which Jumba shrugged with a blush, as if he knew nothing of it.  
  
"It's an amazing machine, Jumba", Peka complimented.  
  
"But...when did you build it? You didn't make it just because of the ship, or did you?"  
  
"I admit, I have had it for zome time", Jumba confessed.  
  
"I zhought zhat since 625 be making so many messes, it vould be nice to have an easy way to dispose of zhem-"  
  
"Oh, shut up!", Owen shouted irritably.  
  
***  
  
Everybody was out of the garage now. The Experiments, as well as the laser machine, would be transported to the edge of the jungle by Nani, in the car. Twyla urged by pre-birth fatigue, had decided to stay behind (as would the twins, who had protested vigorously).  
  
The machine was being loaded into the car, and Reihana still sat in the house. Upstairs, in the kitchen, on the table, where Auron had slept.  
  
She wasn't feeling too well.  
  
"471? 471?"  
  
Jumba came into the kitchen.  
  
"Zhere you are!", he exclaimed.  
  
"Ze others are vaiting for you!"  
  
He looked at her...but she lowered her head.  
  
"471?", he said, quietly.  
  
"...Yes?", she replied.  
  
Jumba's face fell with her's.  
  
"471...vhat's wrong?", he asked her, stepping closer carefully.  
  
"...I don't feel so good", she confessed quietly.  
  
Jumba said nothing, but walked over to her. He sat down next to her, and the table creaked under his weight. He put his arm around her shoulders and gently squeezed her.  
  
"471...", he said.  
  
"Please...tell me vhat troubles you."  
  
Reihana sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.  
  
"It's...it's just that...", she began in a low sob.  
  
"It's just that...well, things are happening so fast...I just feel so stressed about it..."  
  
Jumba sighed inaudibly, and gently lifted the sad Experiment into his lap.  
  
"My dear 471....", he said to her as she rested her head against his chest.  
  
"...I can only imagine zhe pain you feel right now...you have suffered much...more zhan I have ever vanted you to...but you cannot live on sadness."  
  
Reihana looked up at her creator, her eyes shining and brimmed with tears.  
  
"...What?", she asked quietly.  
  
Jumba stroked her ears carefully as he spoke.  
  
"You have endured much", he said.  
  
"And have braved it better zhan many others would...but you cannot let vhat happened control your life."  
  
He leaned forward, and pressed a small kiss against her forehead.  
  
"You are safe here, on zhis planet", he assured her tranquilly.  
  
"Nobody can hurt you now."  
  
Reihana sniffed again and looked down. She wanted to believe that she was safe...indeed, she did feel better than she had when blasting through hyperspace in the spaceship...but Jumba's words just couldn't comfort her.  
  
"B-but...but what about the other Experiments?", she asked in a sob.  
  
For a moment, Jumba said nothing...then, the silence was broken by Peka calling;  
  
"Reihana, you coming?"  
  
She looked back up at Jumba...and saw that he was smiling.  
  
"Go vith them", he advised her.  
  
"Have some fun...we can discuss this later, no?"  
  
After a moment's hesitation, Rei agreed.  
  
***  
  
It was cramped inside Nani's car as she drove to the edge of the jungle. Lilo had decided to come with (just for the ride), and now she, Stitch, Peka, Rei, and Auron sat in the backseat, with the laser-machine (now turned off) lying across their laps. It was quite heavy...and it was kind of an insult to hear Owen having a perfectly comfortable discussion with Nani in the front seat, as the machine was quite heavy.  
  
"-And that's how I learned that neither of the kids tolerate cheese-spray and strawberry-syrup sandwiches", he finished.  
  
Nani was silent for a moment, still not totally accustomed to Owen's strange (gross) eating habits, and finally answered;  
  
"...Right."  
  
"Are we almost there?", Lilo asked in a slight groan.  
  
"Why?", Owen asked, turning around.  
  
"My stories don't interest you?"  
  
"We're almost there", Nani answered, glancing at the backseat through the rear-view mirror.  
  
"Just another minute; I wanna make sure nobody sees you guys."  
  
As she said this, Reihana shifted uncomfortably. Not because of the machine, but because this idea of staying hidden all the time was starting to bother her.  
  
"...Why do we have to hide all the time?", she asked quietly.  
  
"Why can't we go out like...like..."  
  
She forgot the word.  
  
"Like humans?", Auron asked.  
  
Reihana nodded.  
  
"They think we're freaky or something", Stitch said.  
  
"But you're not", Lilo said defensively, mirroring Reihana's thoughts.  
  
"I know, Lilo", Stitch said to her.  
  
"But you know that even though we're all ohana, getting everybody else to like us is hard."  
  
"Why?", Rei asked.  
  
"Humans aren't used to anything different", Peka answered, who was sitting next to her.  
  
"And they'd probably be scared of us...even though there's nothing to fear about us."  
  
"Except when Owen snores, and he sounds like a monster", Stitch sniggered.  
  
The others laughed and Owen moaned: he wasn't too fond of being the subject of everybody's joke.  
  
"Well", Peka said, speaking over the laughter.  
  
"I think you should all know that Owen doesn't snore as much as he used to."  
  
This was somewhat of a surprise to the others, who had known her to go right along with small teases aimed at her mate.  
  
"...Really?", Owen finally asked.  
  
"I don't snore that much?"  
  
While the others took part in another laugh, Auron felt terribly guilty again. He knew that Peka had stuck up for him to get him back...something that he had promised to help out with.  
  
"Think, think!", he thought to himself hurriedly.  
  
"What's a good way to get a guy back?"  
  
He didn't have much time to ponder the matter.  
  
Unexpectently, the un-nerving cry of a police-siren surprised them all.  
  
"Oh no...", Nani moaned, glancing into the side-mirror, and seeing the police-car right behind them.  
  
"What did I do?"  
  
"PULL YOUR VEHICLE OVER", a megaphone-enhanced voice ordered loudly.  
  
"Darn it!", Nani cursed.  
  
"What're we gonna do?!"  
  
"Just pull over", Stitch advised.  
  
"We don't want trouble."  
  
"We ARE in trouble", Nani said stressedly, turning on the car's blinkers.  
  
"They're gonna see you!"  
  
"What are we going to do?", Lilo asked anxiously.  
  
"Don't worry", Stitch told her reassuredly, even though there was a hint of tenseness to his voice.  
  
"Everybody", he directed at the other Experiments.  
  
"Act like dogs!"  
  
"...What's a dog?", Reihana asked.  
  
"Just don't say anything!", Peka hissed as they pulled over to a dirt sidewalk that lined the jungle.  
  
As the cop car pulled up behind them, the Experiments and Lilo heard Nani whispering something. They thought she was praying.  
  
The footsteps of the approaching officer were audible even through the settling of the dust. Auron looked up and saw as the cop's torso stopped in front of the driver-window. He held his breath as Nani unrolled the screen.  
  
"Uh...is there a problem, officer?", she asked as soon as the window was completely open.  
  
The man leaned down in his tan uniform and adjusted a pair of clip-on sunglasses.  
  
"Ma'am, may I see your license and registration, please?", he asked, by-the- book formally.  
  
"A-alright", Nani said nervously, and took the laminated papers from the glove compartment.  
  
The others were silent.  
  
"Can I ask what this is about?", Nani asked as she handed the papers to the cop.  
  
"You were driving with a broken taillight", he informed her as he checked her license.  
  
"That's a traffic-violation. I'm afraid I'll have to write you up for that- "  
  
Just then, he realized that Nani wasn't the only person in the car.  
  
The officer leaned back down to the window, looked inside, and saw not only Lilo, but also the four other Experiments.  
  
Forgetting his formality, he removed his glasses completely and asked;  
  
"What in the world are THOSE things?!"  
  
Nani tried to hide the redness of her face, as the Experiments looked up at the cop innocently.  
  
"They're...uh...", she started, talking quickly between her pauses.  
  
"They're...my pets."  
  
"What are they?", the cop asked in somewhat disgusted awe.  
  
"They're...dogs", Nani answered.  
  
"Crossbreeds."  
  
"Must be one Hell of a mix", the officer said, still staring.  
  
Then, he noticed the laser-machine lying across the backseat.  
  
"And what is THAT?", he asked.  
  
"That's a vacuum-cleaner", Nani answered, faster than before.  
  
The officer stared a few more moments, then stood back up.  
  
"You're transporting...five animals in one vehicle", the officer stated.  
  
"I'm not sure if that's a violation or not...whether or not, I'll still have to give a ticket for the tail-light, lady."  
  
"O-okay", Nani said.  
  
The others felt the relief in her voice.  
  
The cop handed back the license papers and began filling out the ticket with a pen.  
  
"You'll have to sign this", he said, handing it to Nani through the window.  
  
Nani began cramming for a pen, and the officer stepped back to the backseat- window, which was halfway opened.  
  
"Hey, little guy", he cooed to Reihana, in a disgusting sing-song voice.  
  
"How've you been?"  
  
Everybody watching could see that Reihana was terrified of the cop (after all, she wasn't yet acquainted to humans). She was even more scared when he reached in to touch her.  
  
She squirmed and tried to wriggle away as the hand came closer.  
  
Nani heard the commotion and turned around in her seat.  
  
"Sir!", she exclaimed.  
  
"I don't think you should be doing that!"  
  
The officer ignored her, and Rei's eyes grew wide with fear as the hairy- knuckled hand tried to stroke her.  
  
"Sir, please!", Nani said again, but the man wouldn't listen.  
  
"Don't!", Lilo said, louder than her sister.  
  
However, it wasn't her voice or Nani's that knocked some sense into the officer; it was Auron leaning forward and sharply biting the cop's hand.  
  
"Ow!", he (the cop) cried in impact and withdrew his hand abruptly, holding it with the other.  
  
Everybody's look snapped to Auron. He was looking at the officer with a great deal of loathing and resentment. A growl escaped his lips. He looked very vicious.  
  
Nani looked at the police officer anxiously; surely he was going to give her another penalty.  
  
The cop was staring back at Auron not-too-pleasantly. Still, he obviously realized that it had been his mistake.  
  
"Move on!", he snapped angrily, and started to walk back to his car.  
  
Nani started the car up as quickly as she could and pulled out of the dust- road.  
  
As she drove, Lilo and the Experiments looked at Auron in some kind of awe. He hid a blush, and simply said, very quietly;  
  
"That was very rude of him..."  
  
***  
  
(A/N: I've been meaning to say this for some time...at the risk of sounding very self-assured, I believe that this is a very good fic I'm writing.  
  
I'm typing chapters faster than 'Before Perfection', and I've achieved more than half of the words that 'Before Perfection' had, in less than half of the chapters that it had. To me, that's a great accomplishment.  
  
Also, I've received more reviews on this here than I ever did on 'Before Perfection', and it's nice to know that there are going to be more of them (thanks so much!).  
  
PurpleJoy6 - we'll see if Nago's gone or not...but be warned: you'll have to wait a while to find out.  
  
DanMat6288 - I'm not sure what you mean, because I haven't seen the Series, but I'm pretty sure that I'm gonna keep all of my ideas original. Sorry.  
  
most extreame priness - okay, I finally remembered: Reihana is pronounced 'ry-ah-na'. Understand?  
  
To verybody reading: thank you so much for being there. I really appreciate your support, because it lets me know that I'm good at writing. You give me strength, and I say to you all now; thank you) 


	14. Tell Me

Love and Burden  
  
by The Great Red Dragon  
  
***  
  
Chapter 14  
  
***  
  
Nani dropped the Experiments off a few miles down the road, where a bit of a pathway led into the jungle.  
  
"You've got less than two miles to walk", Nani told them from the front seat as they hoisted out the laser-device.  
  
"I'll be back here in three hours to pick you guys up, okay?"  
  
"Sure thing", Stitch replied.  
  
He activated the laser-board and it hummed with power. Like it had in the garage, it lifted several feet off the ground in a light hover.  
  
"Thank God we don't have to drag that heavy thing by ourselves", Owen commented, forgetting that Auron and Stitch weren't as weak as he was.  
  
"Yeah, yeah", Stitch said as he closed the door to the backseat.  
  
Lilo, who had taken Owen's seat in the front, poked her head out the window.  
  
"Bye!", she called as Nani revved the car back up with a low roar.  
  
"See ya later!", Stitch called back as the car began to pull away.  
  
The Experiments watched as the small bug-car turned into the otherwise car- less road, and lost sight of it as it pulled away behind the wall of green wilderness.  
  
"Well", Stitch said.  
  
"We might as well get moving."  
  
He activated a switch on the laser-device, and as he began to walk, it hovered behind him in silent following.  
  
The other Experiments followed and caught up with him, with Owen complaining about the cold jungle-floor as they entered the lush.  
  
***  
  
Despite his lazy butt, Owen, as well as the others, was created to be swift. Even though they didn't run (they only walked), they covered more distance than most humans would at their pace; it would only take them a short time to reach their destination.  
  
"Reihana?", Peka (who was walking next to Owen, somewhat behind Stitch) called over her shoulder.  
  
"Are we going the right way, anyway?"  
  
Reihana shrugged with a small smile.  
  
"I wouldn't know", she answered.  
  
"I mean...I haven't seen this place. Auron carried me out of here...maybe you should ask him."  
  
All eyes turned to Auron, who hid his face, and everybody suspected he was hiding a blush.  
  
"Uh, yeah, this is the right way, yeah...", he stammered.  
  
Stitch, Peka, and Owen chuckled good-naturedly and turned back towards their path. Reihana, however, slowed her tracks enough for her to reach head-level with Auron, who didn't notice her until she was right next to him. When he did, he almost jumped.  
  
"Oh-!", he exclaimed in a small screech.  
  
"Rei-!.........I didn't hear you-..."  
  
"I'm sorry", she apologized quietly.  
  
"I didn't mean to scare you."  
  
"Oh...that's alright", Auron said, regaining his composure.  
  
"I wasn't scare...just a bit surprised."  
  
He hid the fact that he had almost wet himself.  
  
Reihana walked with him several more steps before continuing the conversation.  
  
"Thank you", she began slowly.  
  
"For what you did back in the car."  
  
Auron put his hand behind his head, and his blush was replaced by a breeze of chill.  
  
"...You're welcome", he said.  
  
"That guy...well, he was being a real asshole-"  
  
He stopped his sentence abruptly, ashamed at his use of foul language in front of Rei; what if she was offended?  
  
But she appeared unperturbed, but lowered her head slightly, as if in personal shame.  
  
"I shouldn't have freaked out like that", she said.  
  
"Because of me, Nani got in trouble with the law."  
  
"No, it's not your fault", Auron insisted.  
  
"That idiot was just being...well, an idiot...and if I hadn't have done it, Stitch or Peka would've."  
  
Reihana raised her head and smiled at him.  
  
"But I thank you anyway", she said.  
  
Auron nodded curtly.  
  
"You're welcome", he said.  
  
It seemed as if they walked many more miles through the vast jungle before they spoke again, this time about a different topic.  
  
"I saw you", Reihana started again.  
  
"I saw you many times in Jumba's lab...it just took me a while to remember."  
  
Auron chuckled quietly.  
  
"I'm that easy to forget?", he asked in a joke.  
  
Reihana smiled.  
  
"I saw you...and we talked a lot", she continued.  
  
"You were aggressive, but you always were eager to speak with somebody."  
  
"Okay", Auron said.  
  
"Obviously, you are difficult to remember too, 'cause I don't remember any of that."  
  
"I know why", Reihana said, her face falling.  
  
"Jumba finally explained it to me...he mixed a chemical in your food everyday to make you forget my presence."  
  
Auron's face changed to the resolved-neutral expression that he took whenever Jumba was mentioned, and he replied with a simple;  
  
"Hmm."  
  
Reihana sighed, but not vainly; she knew about the differences between Jumba and Auron, and respected it.  
  
Before she could speak again, Auron inquired;  
  
"If he wanted me to see you, why would he drug me to forget it?"  
  
"He told me...", Reihana began.  
  
"He told me...well, I didn't know that he knew that I was seeing you, but he now told me that he felt it was necessary for you to have friendly contact to keep you...well...'human'."  
  
She looked up at him.  
  
"I thought I knew everything back then", she told him.  
  
"Even the things he didn't want me to know...I knew about the outside interference, and I knew that it had everything to do with you, but I didn't know what. I knew that somebody was watching Jumba and you, your progress...you weren't supposed to have any contact with any of the other Experiments, and to keep you from showing signs of it, Jumba made you forget me every time we spoke...but I came back whenever I could to see you."  
  
Auron could not deny that hearing this news was a general shock to him. It meant that Jumba had actually done good for him inside the bad...but he never knew it.  
  
In a way, he didn't want to believe Reihana; it would mean believing something positive about Jumba...it meant that the relentless torture had indeed only been a necessary masquerade.  
  
"Auron?"  
  
He turned to face Reihana, snapping out of his wake of thought.  
  
He found her looking him in the eyes.  
  
"Please believe me", she said.  
  
"That Jumba did everything he could for you...he never wanted you to be a war-machine, and he never meant for any of that to happen. All he ever wanted was...was to be your father."  
  
She looked away, and repressed a sniffle of emotion.  
  
"I think I actually saw him cry, sometimes", she told him.  
  
"He cried because he knew that you were sitting somewhere in a cell, hating him as much as he still loved you...and he says that you hated him rightfully."  
  
Silence swept over Auron and Rei. Auron's mind was ablaze with what he had just heard. He didn't want to believe it, but he wanted to believe Reihana. Her words seemed the reality to him, and despite how strange the feeling was, he felt ready to accept it.  
  
That was, just what she had said...but not forgiving Jumba.  
  
"Rei...", he started off slowly.  
  
"I...I believe what you just told me...and I believed everything that was told to me before. I realize that what Jumba did, and what he tried to do was for the best of the others...even I would've done the same thing...but I can't forgive him, and I can never ever forget."  
  
He didn't dare look at Reihana, in fear that he was making her cry.  
  
"I realize that Jumba isn't who I thought he was", he continued steadily.  
  
"And the very best that I can do is ignore him...perhaps for the rest of my life. I'm sorry...but that's just the way things are for me."  
  
He expected to have hurt her, and have changed her feelings about him. He expected her to hate him now, and he cursed himself for speaking so quickly.  
  
But when he dared a look at her, she was smiling again, and it was an honest smile.  
  
"I understand you", she told him.  
  
"And I don't blame you...I'm only glad that you turned out as nice as you did...maybe you put some good into yourself."  
  
Her smile widened as Auron looked back at her, and he smiled as well.  
  
Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked around in surprise, but there was nobody or nothing there.  
  
"What the heck-?", he said in surprise, looking around him.  
  
Then, he heard Reihana giggle.  
  
He turned to her...and then finally got it.  
  
He turned around, and found her abnormally long tail trailing behind them like an obedient dog.  
  
Auron turned back to Rei and smiled meekly with fake annoyance.  
  
"Very funny", he said.  
  
Their conversation was cut short, as they heard Stitch call to them from up ahead;  
  
"Hey, we're here!"  
  
*********  
  
[A/N: as well as the last chapter, this was supposed to be linked with another one, but the interaction between Auron and Reihana turned into a whole short-story itself. I'm glad that I managed to get this chapter written faster than the last (but then again, this one's shorter, isn't it?).  
  
VOID99 - Auron's dreams will be explained in a chapter not too far away (believe me, they do have a meaning).  
  
DanMat6288 - I'm sorry, but I don't much of that will be coming up; no Myrtle, no Hamsterviel, and no dance instructors. Molecular transportation, however, will be a concept in the future...but I'll tell you right now, once the fic is passed all of the emotional-working-out that's happening now, there's gonna be some serious action.  
  
Thanks for everybody's reviews! I'll get the next chapter done ASAP!] 


	15. Meeting the Quota

[Disclaimer: the song 'The Night' belongs to Scooter. The original song has only one verse, so the other are the ones that I made up]  
  
*********  
  
Love and Burden  
  
by The Great Red Dragon  
  
Chapter 15  
  
***  
  
Reihana and Auron stood next to Peka, Owen, and Stitch as they beheld the sight. Auron noted that it must've been very dark the night before; he didn't remember the ship being this big, and he didn't remember it sticking out of the ground in a perfect 45-degree angle.  
  
The task that lied ahead was daunting to all of them.  
  
"Auron?", Peka finally asked after a minute.  
  
"Yeah?", he replied, and se asked;  
  
"You crashed to Earth in a ship, too...how did you cover that up?"  
  
Auron smiled to himself; they were all searching for the easiest possible way to do this...or to get out of doing it.  
  
"It grew over with vines and plants", he explained.  
  
"You can barely see it now...but I don't think that's gonna be possible now, with this one."  
  
Everybody groaned.  
  
"You had to choose the biggest, most obvious star-cruiser to arrive on Earth, huh, Reihana?", Owen asked playfully (Stitch elbowed him in stomach; Reihana had escaped with her life).  
  
*********  
  
Nothing seemed organized at first. Although everybody knew that the first step was to get the ship to a parallel level, but everybody seemed to have a different idea how this would be accomplished. Reihana eventually stood back from the scene, but this wasn't out of laziness; she was afraid that at any moment the ship would fall over and crush them all.  
  
Auron was sure that if some support was established underneath the free part of the ship, the other part they would be able to dig out of the mud without problem.  
  
Stitch claimed that the only way was to have him and Auron ease the ship into place while the others dug the mud away.  
  
Everybody ignored Owen when he said that simply kicking the ship would solve the problem.  
  
They ignored him, but that was what did the trick...when he kicked it, the ship came down, and almost obliterated Auron (who dove out of the way just fast enough).  
  
Mud and leaves splattered along with a tremendous thud as the ship crashed down and heaved as it hit the Earth. For a moment, nobody could see a thing.  
  
"AURON!", Peka shouted urgently.  
  
The reply to this was referred not to her, but to Owen;  
  
"I'm gonna kill him!"  
  
He re-appeared as the debris settled, splashed in mud.  
  
"Owen, I'm going to knock you out!", he said, stepping out of the scene in a way that could've been much more dramatic.  
  
Even though Owen recoiled in fear, Auron knew he wasn't close enough to punch him and not feel guilty about it, so he settled for simply throwing him an evil eye.  
  
"I'm sorry...", Owen whimpered, once Auron had turned his back on him (he didn't know it, but Auron wasn't for holding grudges; he had forgiven him already.  
  
"Well", he said, in a 'looking-on-the-good-side' way.  
  
"At least the ship's down, huh?"  
  
Peka (who had gotten over the shock of seeing him almost get crushed) nodded.  
  
"...But what are we going to do now? We can't stick the whole thing in the laser."  
  
"I think that's where Stitch comes in", Auron answered, glancing at him.  
  
Stitch looked pretty surprised at this.  
  
"...Huh?", he asked in surprise.  
  
"Aren't you able to tear metal?", Auron asked him.  
  
It took a moment for Stitch to remember his strength; it almost surprised him.  
  
"...Oh yeah!", he said in slight bemusement.  
  
"I...I almost forgot."  
  
This statement seemed to enlighten Auron in a way that the others didn't understand.  
  
"Better to forget about it in a good life", he thought to himself.  
  
"Than to keep it fresh fighting all the time."  
  
He was referring to his experience with the Predator...but also the fact that he knew Stitch's strength, from when he twisted his arm behind his back the night before.  
  
***  
  
The work was divided between the five of them, and it was cooperative.  
  
Stitch, who was indeed strong enough tear individual segments of the metal alloy apart, still needed some assistance from Auron. Together, they tore segmented pieces from the intact ship, and Stitch (more than Auron, because of his strength) tore them into bits small enough to be fed into the laser.  
  
This job was taken up by Peka and Owen, who stood wait next to the growing pile of trash metal, ready to grab as much as they could and rush it over to the laser. Owen became increasingly intimidated by the violent spark created when something was dropped into the void, and he recoiled quickly whenever he managed to disclaim one of the scraps. This crazy hesitation finally led Peka to kick him in the back of the leg, after shouting;  
  
"Come on, my arms are full!"  
  
Reihana was feeling somewhat...irrelevant to the situation. She knew that the others had meant well to give her (the newbie) a job that didn't require a lot of work...but when she was told to 'make sure that the ship doesn't fall over', she felt a bit stupid. It didn't help that she screeched in surprise when something crawled over her tail (it turned out to be a harmless lizard), and everybody ran to her in alarm.  
  
***  
  
Nobody could've argued that they worked in silence. No conversation was heard; it was like a silent square of cubicles of a corporation. The only audible sound was the slow, reaching tear of metal, the sparking of the laser device, and Owen's occasion;  
  
"Are we almost done?"  
  
***  
  
Perhaps it was simply the need for music and knowing that Auron could make it that made Peka ask him for some.  
  
"Hey, Auron?", she asked after she had dropped a slab of metal into the laser.  
  
Auron looked up from his work.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"How about you think up a song for us?"  
  
...This request was a bit abrupt for Auron.  
  
"...Now?", he asked in surprise.  
  
"Yeah", Peka answered.  
  
"Would that be alright?"  
  
"...But I don't have my guitar", Auron pointed out.  
  
"Can't you sing?", Peka asked.  
  
"I thought you said you could."  
  
"I-I can...", Auron said slowly, somewhat uncomfortably.  
  
"Oh, come on, Peka; you're putting me on the spot here!"  
  
"Come on!", Stitch voiced from behind.  
  
"We'll sing with you!"  
  
"No...", Auron moaned.  
  
"Come on!", Peka, Stitch, and Owen urged playfully (Reihana watched, not interfering, but hoping for a song as well).  
  
"No..."  
  
"Come on!"  
  
"Leemee alone..."  
  
"Please!"  
  
"No..."  
  
It took a lot of persuasion, but eventually Auron agreed in playful reluctance.  
  
"Alright, alright", he finally gave up.  
  
"I'll do one...but you guys all gotta get into it when I get started...okay."  
  
He sat quietly for a sec, slowly grinding a piece of metal between his claws. Everybody looked on in anticipation as he pondered, and looks up expectation filled their expressions as he looked up after a while.  
  
"Alright", he announced, sitting up.  
  
"This one's pretty easy, but I've thought it up for some time. If you all like it, feel free to sing along."  
  
He took a breath, and seemed to stand still...then, it became aware to the others that he was tapping his foot lightly, like a rapper finding a beat. Then, when it was suspected that he had found one, he began to hum a bit...the melody was unrecognizable, but once he opened his mouth, the lyrics were wonderful.  
  
*********  
  
"All my friends are talking to me, What's this love I see?  
  
I know you can make it right, I'm still waiting now  
  
Waiting for the love I need, If you want me too  
  
There's something I don't understand, I don't know...  
  
***  
  
All the things I wanted to be, When can I be free?  
  
Does this mean something rash? Do I want something more?  
  
Is there something unfulfilled? Who can say...  
  
***  
  
All my dreams are speaking to me, Do they want me harm?  
  
Is there some good in the bad? Like a moth in a shell  
  
Some things are going down, But I won't tell..."  
  
*********  
  
It was a song to be played in a dance-hall: pitched, repeated, and sweet. The words seemed almost meaningless, but they were deep in Auron's voice.  
  
It was easy enough for the others to pick up with, and they enjoyed doing so. It was almost like 'Kumbaya'; they were able to sing the three verses over and over with it getting old (but when it did, they did start singing Kumbaya).  
  
Deep down (including Auron), they knew it was kind of silly, but it didn't matter at the moment.  
  
***  
  
In their time, their work didn't seem to take long. Owen's occasional complaints couldn't override the singing, even though it seemed like an uplifting to him as well as the others.  
  
Bit by bit, the ship that Reihana had arrived in disappeared. Once the entire outer hull was dismantled and 'laserized', they were left with the 'inner organs' and engines. These took long to take apart. It wasn't because they were harder to tear apart (on the contrary), but because they had to be dissected delicately. These things carried the hazard of being highly-explosive if handled roughly, so it wasn't long before Stitch and Auron were squinting through slit eyes to make they didn't rupture any fuse- wires (while humming "All my friends are talking to me..." through their teeth).  
  
Canisters which contained liquid (like the gas tanks, windshield detergent- holders, etc.) became an even bigger problem. None of the Experiments were sure if the laser could handle liquids, and neither did they want to simply pour it out and pollute the jungle soil.  
  
They decided to simply take the specific liquids and canisters back to the house: maybe Jumba would know what to do with them.  
  
It wouldn't be long before they would do so; their rate of work had profitably risen to impress and foreman.  
  
*********  
  
The walk back to the road where they were to meet Nani was filled with conversation (the laser was stacked with the liquid-containers, and followed them on remote). The tension had disappeared, and they were tipped with the confidence that the job was complete and nobody would ever be able to know that the ship had ever been there (what was left of the ship was now spread unnoticingly across the ground: the laser had reduced it to a small pile of ash). It felt good to have a large job done, and each of them was planning an ideal period of recreation.  
  
"I'm telling ya, there'd better be a whole platter of strawberry-and-salsa sandwiches waiting for me when we get back", Owen stated, walking in- between Stitch and Peka.  
  
The others scoffed inaudibly.  
  
"You barely did anything", they were all thinking, but were in too high of spirits to destroy his.  
  
"Whatever", Stitch said.  
  
"But I know that I'll have to get some band-aids as soon as I can...I cut myself here."  
  
He showed his hand, which held in its palm a slightly-bleeding gash.  
  
"Oooh", Auron commented in grossed interest.  
  
"Yeah, you'd better do something with that."  
  
"Look who's talking", Stitch said playfully.  
  
"I wonder why you didn't get cut."  
  
"Well, I didn't want to mess my own hands up...", Auron said, shrugging his shoulders innocently.  
  
Stitch gave him a playful shove, sending him a bit off-balance.  
  
That's pretty much how the entire conversation went as they moved anewed through the jungle, unhurried.  
  
***  
  
They broke out into sunlight just as Nani's car pulled up along the road. It rolled to a stop as the dust kicked up behind it.  
  
Stitch stepped up and opened the passenger-door. Nani's face was surprisingly welcoming, but it faded away almost instant.  
  
"Oh!", she exclaimed in surprise and in disgust.  
  
"What's that smell?!"  
  
"Smell?", Stitch asked.  
  
"What smell?"  
  
"It's probably the gas", Peka suggested, opening the backseat door and climbing in.  
  
"Or it's Owen", Auron said with a cruel smile.  
  
Owen laughed sarcastically and climbed in after Peka. Reihana entered after her, then Auron. He lifted in the laser behind him, set it across their laps, and set the canisters of gas on the floor in front of the seats. He closed the door, giving Nani the cue to get moving.  
  
"You all look like you've been productive", she commented, turning the car around, towards home.  
  
"Did you get everything done?"  
  
"Yep", Stitch responded proudly.  
  
"All of it."  
  
"What are those canisters for?", Nani asked, her eyes reflecting in the rear-view mirror.  
  
"Well...almost everything", Stitch corrected himself.  
  
"We don't know what to do with them, so we're gonna see if Jumba knows how to get rid of them."  
  
Nani nodded.  
  
"Just don't bring that smell into the house", she warned.  
  
"I wouldn't want Twyla getting 'contaminated'."  
  
"How is she?", Stitch asked, suddenly more serious than before.  
  
"No need to worry, nothing happened", Nani answered.  
  
"She's just been feeling a bit more fatigued. I think it was a good idea that she stayed at home."  
  
She looked back into the mirror, at Peka.  
  
"You guys really have mixed birth-cycles, huh?"  
  
Peka shrugged her shoulders with a small smile.  
  
"Talk to Jumba about it", she answered, then added;  
  
"But I don't think that he's got all the answers either."  
  
They rode in silence for some time. The Experiments watched out the window as cars whooshed by. After a while, the dirt road was replaced by the pavement that led into the town. The car rounded the T-turn upwards and towards the house.  
  
As they pulled into the garage underneath the steps and stopped the car, Nani turned around in her seat and looked at Reihana.  
  
"Are you alright?", she asked her.  
  
"...Me?", Rei replied in surprise.  
  
"Yes, I am...why do you ask?"  
  
"You looked kinda sad for a second", Nani said.  
  
She looked on for a second, then suggested to Rei;  
  
"Here, why don't you come with me into the kitchen for a while? You don't smell like the others here."  
  
The 'others' groaned in their discrimination, and Rei looked a bit unsure for a moment.  
  
"Go with her", Peka urged.  
  
"The rest of us are going to take a shower before we do anything else."  
  
"Speaking of taking a shower", Nani interjected, looking up.  
  
"I hate to say it, but we've been wasting a lot of water lately. All of you taking separate showers is costing a lot of money, so I want you all to shower together this once."  
  
Obviously, this was considered an abrupt intrusion of privacy, and Stitch, Auron, Owen, and Peka both exclaimed;  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Oh, don't act like that", Nani said.  
  
"You go naked wherever you go; I think that you can save some water for once and get wet together."  
  
There was a lot of grumble, but Nani ignored it all. Still, it was obvious to the Experiments that showering together wouldn't mean a thing...it just seemed strange, on account that they had never done it before.  
  
***  
  
After placing the canisters in the garage, they marched up the sloped, wooden stairs and through the door, Nani in the rear. As the Experiments headed up the stairs and towards the bathroom (minus Rei, who went with Nani), Stitch excused himself for a moment to see Twyla (who, Nani had said, was on the sofa in the living room).  
  
Halfway up the stairs, Auron, Owen, and Peka heard Stitch greet her warmly;  
  
"Hey, sweetie, how are you?"  
  
A moment later, she responded with;  
  
"Oh, don't come any closer! You smell like a gas station!"  
  
Very soon, Stitch rejoined them.  
  
"Let's get this over with", he said, urgently.  
  
On their way t the bathroom, they met Lilo, who came out of her room excitedly as she heard them approach. But she too backed away at their smell.  
  
"P-U!", she exclaimed, holding nose.  
  
"What did you guys do?"  
  
"It's a long story", Stitch answered.  
  
"We'll tell you after we shower."  
  
Lilo looked as surprised as they were at first.  
  
"All of you are going to shower together?", she asked.  
  
"Your sister's making us", Owen accused.  
  
"Just to let everybody know right now, I take absolutely no pleasure in this."  
  
"Oh, you think we do?", Auron asked.  
  
"Have you ever smelled a wet dog?"  
  
*********  
  
Sometime later, downstairs, Reihana was thinking more than listening. She sipped at her drink and nodded while Nani talked, but she was actually sorting out things inside of her mind.  
  
Nani had obviously heard the story about her loss, and figured that her short moment of sadness was an affect of it. Now, she was trying to 'make her feel better' by telling her about some love problems that she had encountered.  
  
Reihana liked Nani very much and was thankful for her hospitality...but she was too shy to tell Nani that her attempt was not working.  
  
Reihana enjoyed the girl-to-girl talk, but Nani just couldn't honestly say anything that would make her (Reihana) feel any better about the subject.  
  
Perhaps it was because Nani just didn't know what it felt like to see her mate killed before her very eyes...but she wouldn't hold that against her.  
  
But she had made one true and crucial point: there was nobody else like Nago.  
  
Rei remembered the love she had shared with him and still harbored for him. She remembered his gruff yet friendly nature, and his gentle, loving touch whenever she needed it. She remembered his voice and his words, and the way he could make her laugh.  
  
She loved him so much that it hurt...so why was she feeling what she was at the moment?  
  
Specifically, why was she feeling the way she did about Auron?  
  
She knew that Auron felt something for her too; it was plain obvious. He was naïve and scared about the feeling, like most people can be.  
  
Reihana didn't feel passionate love towards him...it was a kind of attraction. It startled and upset her; she didn't want to feel this way, not when she was still supposed to be grieving.  
  
It frustrated her, and she bit her tongue tensely.  
  
Indeed, Auron was a lot. From what she had heard, he was not only strong, steel-minded and intimidating, but also funny, soft-hearted, loving, and compassionate.  
  
Wasn't that all that Nago was?  
  
"No!", she said to herself.  
  
"He's not for me...only Nago was...and now, he's gone."  
  
She refused the tears and sipped at her drink again.  
  
"There'll never be another Nago...never"  
  
*********  
  
Slow, thudding footsteps announced the arrival of Jumba. He pushed open the door to the kitchen and caught sight of Reihana.  
  
"Ah! 471! You are back!", he said warmly.  
  
"Hi, Jumba", she replied with a smile.  
  
Jumba looked over at Nani, who was leaning against the counter.  
  
"Oh!", he said.  
  
"I am not interrupting something, am I?"  
  
"No, we were just talking", Nani said, before adding;  
  
"By the way, the others brought back something from the ship...some kind of gasoline, I think."  
  
"Zhey did?", Jumba asked.  
  
"Yes", Nani replied.  
  
"It made them smell like crazy, but they thought that you might be able to do something with it."  
  
"Hmmm...", Jumba said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.  
  
"Intergalactic spaceship fuel...perhaps I could use it for zome of my other experiments..."  
  
He quelled Nani's sudden look of surprise by assuring her;  
  
"No, no, no, it not real Experiment like 626 or 625...it just be something practical like...advanced exercise machine?"  
  
"Are you implying that I'm fat?!", Nani asked offensively.  
  
"No, no!", Jumba said quickly, raising his hands.  
  
"Perhaps I vill just build tventy thousand flashlights...anyvay, I need to talk to 471 for a moment."  
  
With that, he snatched up Reihana and carried her away before Nani could jump to anymore conclusions.  
  
***  
  
Once they were at a safe distance (namely, in the hallway, by the stairs, away from Nani), Jumba sat Reihana back down, and sat down next to her.  
  
"What's going on?", Reihana asked, wondering about the urgency of the conversation.  
  
Jumba looked at Reihana, then slowly down the floor, then back at Rei, and answered.  
  
"It is about 541."  
  
"Auron?", Rei asked in surprise.  
  
"What about him?"  
  
Jumba put his hands together uncomfortably, and looked around, as if checking if somebody was watching or listening; nobody was.  
  
"Vell...", he started off slowly.  
  
"I have noticed, like everybody else, zhat 541 is...vell, 541 has seem to become...'attracted' to you."  
  
Jumba expected her to be surprised at this, perhaps even frightened. But on the contrary, she responded with a polite, simple;  
  
"Yes, I know."  
  
Now, it was Jumba's thought to be surprised.  
  
"Oh!", he said in surprise.  
  
"You know...vell, of course you know. Of course you know, vhy vouldn't you? Yes..."  
  
He trailed off for a moment before continuing.  
  
"About zhat...", he said.  
  
"...I'm vorried."  
  
"You're worried?", Rei repeated in surprise.  
  
"Why's that?"  
  
"...I don't know 541", Jumba said.  
  
"I know zhat is being my fault, but it also makes me vorry about you."  
  
Before Reihana could say anything, he carried on.  
  
"541 has never been around female Experiment zhat he vhas attracted to...I'm afraid of vhat affect it vould have on him...I'm afraid zhat he may hurt you."  
  
This statement had several impacts upon Reihana. Firstly, she was able to give herself another reason to refuse her attraction to Auron. But she realized the next second that Auron had never displayed any aggression or violence towards her, so why should he now or in the future. Then she figured that Jumba had created all of the Experiments, so surely he would know their emotional attributes. The second revelation told her that this wasn't necessarily true: the Experiments were all mixed in every prowess, and none of them were modifyably predictable. And, as Jumba himself had said: he didn't really know what Auron was like, so how could he know how he acts?  
  
In the end, it all came down to one conclusion: Reihana knew Auron, and knew that he wouldn't hurt her. Jumba's concern was in vain.  
  
She looked up at him, and showed him a smile that was so full of affection and understanding, it might've been sympathetic.  
  
"Jumba", she told him.  
  
"I understand what you mean...I know that you and Auron aren't getting along at all...but I know that he isn't a danger to us or to anybody else."  
  
The Evil Genius didn't look very convinced.  
  
"But that's just it!", he said.  
  
"541 hates me!.........so I think that-"  
  
Reihana cut him off; not rudely, but swiftly.  
  
"Jumba", she said again.  
  
"No matter how much Jumba doesn't like you, he won't let it out on anybody, especially me."  
  
Jumba raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Vhy especially not you?", he asked.  
  
Reihana's smile lessened to a small, grin.  
  
"Because", she answered.  
  
"He likes me."  
  
***  
  
Jumba wanted to say something else, but whatever it was was interrupted by the sound of feet coming down the stairs they were sitting on.  
  
Auron, Peka, Stitch, and Owen descended the staircase, their fur looking still somewhat damp from the shower. They were all looking a bit disgruntled, but no worse for wear.  
  
Jumba stood up abruptly, as if he had just been walked in on.  
  
Reihana looked up at them as they came closer.  
  
"How was it?", she asked, in an effort to be nice.  
  
Owen, who seemed to be extremely harassed, shot her a look that suggested she had made a bad joke. Peka, on the other hand, brushed a few strands of hair out of her face and managed to smile back.  
  
"We survived, didn't we?", she said humorously.  
  
They reached the bottom of the stairs, and took the opportunity to sit down next to and around Rei. Stitch and Peka sat next to her and Owen did so behind her. Auron stretched out comfortably above all of them.  
  
Jumba observed the scene of Experiment-harmony and suppressed a smile that none of them would've understood.  
  
"Do you all have any other plans?", he asked the group.  
  
Peka sat up (she had leaned back in leisure) and nodded.  
  
"Actually", she answered.  
  
"We were planning to go to the beach."  
  
"Zhe beach?", Jumba asked.  
  
"You mean...all five of you?"  
  
Peka nodded.  
  
"Everybody who wants to go", she said.  
  
"We were going to ask Reihana right now."  
  
"471 cannot go to zhe ocean", Jumba insisted.  
  
"Her molecular structure is too great; she vill drown."  
  
"No, she won't", Stitch objected.  
  
"We'll teach her to surf!"  
  
Jumba shook his head and crossed his arms.  
  
"I am sorry", he said.  
  
"But I am not vanting it."  
  
"Please, Jumba?"  
  
Jumba blinked. Reihana had just said that.  
  
"Vhat?", he asked.  
  
"I really want to go with them", she said.  
  
"Please...can I go?"  
  
Jumba exhaled forcibly. Peka put her arm around Rei's shoulder in a companion-like way.  
  
"We promise we won't let anything happen to her", she assured him.  
  
Jumba still didn't look very comfortable with the situation.  
  
"But vhat if she fell into zhe vhater?", he asked in concern.  
  
"She could drown!"  
  
"David's probably gonna be there", Stitch predicted.  
  
"He'd always be watching us."  
  
"But vhat if he isn't zhere?", Jumba pressed on.  
  
"None of you can swim!"  
  
"I can", Auron corrected.  
  
Jumba's gave shifted to him, and it was in surprise.  
  
"541?"", he said in bewilderment.  
  
"You can...swim?"  
  
Auron nodded curtly.  
  
"...But how?"", Jumba asked.  
  
"Your molecular structure is also-..."  
  
"You must've made a mistake", Auron answered neutrally.  
  
"I can swim very well."  
  
Peka didn't look surprised, but happy about this news.  
  
"Can she, Jumba?", she asked again.  
  
"Even if David isn't there, Auron will be, and he can swim!"  
  
Mixed ideas about Reihana's safety ran through Jumba's head. Mainly, it was a debate between two conditions: Reihana would be safe in the care of the other Experiments, or she would be prone to misfortune.  
  
He pulled out of his mind-battle, and looked back at the Experiments. The deciding factor came when he caught sight of Reihana's pleading face.  
  
"Please, Jumba?", she asked.  
  
"I'll be alright, 'because they'll be with me."  
  
Jumba breathed in, started to say something, but fell short of it and exhaled heavily.  
  
"Alright", he said.  
  
"You may go."  
  
In happy, yet mock and exaggerated support, the Experiments (except Rei) clapped and applauded loudly.  
  
"I'll go get Lilo", Stitch said, standing up and hurrying back up the stairs.  
  
"She'll wanna come, too."  
  
"I'll go beg Nani to drive us", Peka announced, standing up as well.  
  
She motioned for the other Experiments to follow her as she headed towards the kitchen.  
  
Auron, Owen, and Rei began to follow, but Jumba held Rei back.  
  
He kneeled down to her, with a look of pleading in his eyes.  
  
"Please be careful", he begged her.  
  
"Please, please, please be very, very careful, alright?"  
  
Reihana replied with a smile and;  
  
"I will; I promise I will."  
  
Then, she hugged him around the neck and kissed him on the nose.  
  
Jumba couldn't help but smile at the charm she possessed.  
  
*********  
  
[A/N: I'd like to start out by saying that I think I screwed up big-time on the first part of this chapter. The work on the spaceship seemed rushed: not the kind of style I thrive to write. Also, I messed up when I tried to portray Auron's musical talents through a dance-song (it seemed like a good idea at the time...). I'll try hard to think up another opportunity to show his true skill.  
  
I hope this chapter isn't too long: it was supposed to be two separate ones, but it turned out to be two. Oh well...  
  
VOID99- yes, I've realized that the Auron/Rei relationship is a little uncomfortable, considering her past experiences...but if they do 'get together', I promise that everything will be worked out (there's still a lot of story to tell).  
  
PurpleJoy6- all in good time; don't worry.  
  
I hope y'all enjoyed that. Sorry it took so long to get written!] 


	16. Against the Waves

(A/N: the lyrics of 'Un Giorno Credi' belong to Gigi D'Agostino [vocal remix performed by Dirty Harry])  
  
***  
  
Love and Burden  
  
by The Great Red Dragon  
  
*********  
  
Chapter 16  
  
*********  
  
Nani didn't mind driving a car of five down to the beach, but she got a bit irritated when Auron rolled down the window and stuck his head out like a dog.  
  
"Hey!", she called out, and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and pulled him back inside.  
  
"You can run around all you want when we get there, but keep it down while we're still getting there."  
  
Auron sat back down in his seat, but was exceedingly jumpy nonetheless. Nani glanced back at him with curious and shifty eyes.  
  
"What's got you so excited?", she asked him, somewhat suspiciously.  
  
"I'm just happy", he answered.  
  
"Just excited about going to the beach."  
  
Nani turned back to the steering wheel with a small scoff.  
  
"It's nothing special...", she said.  
  
Lilo, already in her yellow and pink-striped bathing suit in the backseat, objected to this.  
  
"I think its special", she pointed out.  
  
"It's special every time we go."  
  
Nani sighed under her breath; she knew she wasn't going to win an argument with her little sister.  
  
Stitch, who was sitting next to her, smiled in neutral agreement.  
  
"I think it's special, too", he told her, perhaps in an effort to calm her down.  
  
It worked, and the conversation returned to peaceful grounds for the rest of the car-ride.  
  
As the car rolled onto the parking lot overlooking the beach, the party saw that the beach was fairly filled, although this was a familiar and appealing sight to everybody except Reihana. It was a public beach, and (being a moderately small one) it didn't attract very much tourism. All the residents lounging on the sands and splashing in the water were people who had seen or at least heard of the Pelekais and 'their weird dogs'. Needlessly said, there was no real danger here.  
  
Nani turned the keys to 'off' and set in the emergency brake as the others piled out of the car.  
  
"Somebody get the towels", Nani called as she exited the vehicle herself.  
  
Auron took up this responsibility, and grabbed the towels from the trunk as the others were led down towards the beach by an excited Lilo.  
  
As they trailed down to the sand, Auron was vividly reminded by a lyric he had thought of;  
  
***  
  
"He will take you across the Rhine,  
  
And together we will walk in a line  
  
If you're ready to change your life,  
  
Come on, follow me in your mind"  
  
***  
  
He didn't know why, but the scene of four Experiments, one little girl, and one young woman all walking in a line reminded him of it.  
  
A few heads turned as the group of them made their way down the beach and towards the surf-shop.  
  
Reihana glanced at the immense ocean nervously. Her long tail, usually extended to its full length, was now pulled close to her. She gripped the end of it tightly, as a frightened animal might put its tail between its legs.  
  
Stitch noticed her uneasiness and gently rubbed his shoulder against her's.  
  
"Hey, don't worry", he reassured her.  
  
"Nothing will happen."  
  
She nodded and managed a smile.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
***  
  
Upon entering the surf-shop, they found David standing over his desk; filling out some paperwork. He looked up as he heard the door open, and smiled invitingly as he recognized the party.  
  
"Hey!", he said in welcome.  
  
"How's it, everybody?"  
  
"Hey, David!", Lilo was the first to greet.  
  
"How are you, Lilo?", the surfer asked, reaching down and rubbing her head affectionately.  
  
He looked up at Nani, who came closer. Perhaps he was hoping for a kiss, but it turned out to be a simple peck on the cheek.  
  
"Hey, David."  
  
Failing to hide a look of great disappointment, he looked down at the four Experiments.  
  
"And how are the four of you?", he asked pleasantly.  
  
Then, he blinked and looked again.  
  
"...You guys are always changing", he remarked.  
  
"That, or some new friends have joined you."  
  
"This is Auron and Reihana", Lilo pointed out.  
  
"They're new here."  
  
David didn't seem surprised, disturbed, abrupted or shocked; his smile just widened in welcome.  
  
"Friends of yours are friends of mine", he stated friendily and extended his hand to Auron, who shook it in return.  
  
Reihana seemed a bit wary of this gesture, but she accepted his courtesy without much hesitation.  
  
David straightened back up before asking;  
  
"So, you guys here for a swim, or what?"  
  
Nani nodded.  
  
"Yeah, we just wanted to come down here for a while and rent some boards", she said.  
  
"Just for a couple of hours."  
  
"Alright; boards it is", David said, turning around and heading towards a large rack that was lined with many different-colored surfboards.  
  
"How many?"  
  
As Nani answered, Auron and Rei found themselves looking around the surf- shop; having never been there before.  
  
David's desk/counter was lined with several different seashells. The floor was sturdy linoleum, and Auron noted that it was probably spread over the sand itself. The wooden walls were decorated with different fly-banners and the American and Hawaiian state flag.  
  
Now, David was returning with two surfboards; one under each arm. Nani pulled out her wallet to pay for the time, but her boyfriend objected.  
  
"You know you guys don't ever have to pay here", he said, gesturing for her to put the wallet away.  
  
Nani did so, but looked kind of uncomfortable, as she always did when he said this.  
  
Of course, David had a response for this;  
  
"If you really want to pay me, how about we do the big date?"  
  
Lilo, obviously sensing boyfriend-girlfriend talk, grabbed one of the boards and Stitch took the others.  
  
"We'll go on ahead!", she called, running out of the shop with the others behind her.  
  
Nani eventually remembered that she and David were to be watching the play, and they went outside and sat on a bench; drinking chilled pineapple juice.  
  
*********  
  
Upon reaching the water, Lilo slid her surfboard onto the waves and immediately jumped on. Stitch sprang on after her as the board was carried onto the waves. He whooped enthusiastically as they drove into the raging water, showing absolutely no fear at the fact that he was in a spotlight for danger.  
  
Auron stopped in his stride as he watched the surfing begin. He had never seen it up close, and certainly never so...gracefully.  
  
Owen stepped up next to him, and, noticing his awe, interjected;  
  
"They're just showing off, y'know."  
  
Even if it was, it still looked so cool...almost as cool as rock 'n' roll (but not yet).  
  
When the two of them (Stitch and Lilo) were flowed back to the beach, they were both wet. Lilo's hair was glistening (but it stayed gracefully out of her face), and Stitch's fur was damp (but its water-resistant ability was quickly dripping it off).  
  
It wasn't long before Auron was anxiously begging;  
  
"My turn, my turn!"  
  
Nobody tried to hold him back as he grabbed one of the boards and splashed into the water.  
  
"Slide it into the water and jump on top", Lilo called to him, and he did as he was instructed.  
  
While the others began to watch with a mix of concern and amusement, Reihana was outright worried.  
  
"But we can't swim!", she said urgently.  
  
"What if he falls off?"  
  
"Don't worry", Peka assured her, trying to sound calm, but worried herself.  
  
"He can swim."  
  
"Are you sure?", Rei asked anxiously.  
  
Peka fell short on the answer to this  
  
"...He said he could...", she answered slowly.  
  
Just then, an inserted splash broke the natural rumbling of the waves, and everybody gasped and straightened up in stance.  
  
"He fell in!", Lilo exclaimed.  
  
"Somebody jump in!", Owen called, forgetting that none of them (with the exception of Lilo) were very good swimmers.  
  
Their eyes began to skim the surface of the lapping water anxiously for any sign of Auron. Tensions grew as his surfboard bobbed unceremoniously out of the water and began to drift towards them.  
  
Seconds turned to dozens, and a silent mist of terror began to creep up their backs.  
  
Lilo was about to run screaming towards Nani and David, when Auron finally popped up from the waves, about only ten feet away from them, looking as if he had just had the time of his life.  
  
"WHOA!", he exclaimed, shaking his bangs out of his face as he hurried back onto the beach.  
  
"That was so awesome! Did y'all see me?! Did ya see me?!"  
  
He didn't understand the looks of deep disapproval that the others gave him, in return of his glee.  
  
*********  
  
It turned into all-out fun, pretty much. Lilo, Stitch, Peka, and Owen took some amusement in watching Auron's child-like amusement at repeatedly falling off of his board and into the water, even though he was trying very hard. The fact that he was failing time after time didn't bother him in the least; anybody else would've been frustrated.  
  
They all had a good time. Stitch and Lilo, being the professionals, surfed up and down small-to-medium-sized waves, in a state of fun ecstasy. Peka would occasionally stand up on her board to catch a drift, but then she'd shakily lose her balance and fly back down onto the board for safety. The majority of the time, she and Owen just floated around on one board (when they would drift too far from the sand, Owen would call out for somebody to tow them back).  
  
Auron continued his temperless fun of a swimming and surfing mix. His ability of swimming seemed to be the envy, admiration, and sometimes irritation of the other Experiments (one time, he popped up right in front of Owen, who shrieked in surprise and almost fell into the water. Luckily, Auron was swift enough to swish up to the other side of the board and grab him under the arms before he fell in).  
  
Only one individual didn't seem to be enjoying herself...was Reihana. She sat a good distance away from the water, watching as her friends played in the wet water-playground.  
  
It looked very fun from her position...but also very dangerous. She was mune to the water, and it scared her. She did believe that her friends would hold their pledge to save her if anything would happen...but she would rather isolate herself from it than take any risks.  
  
She sat down and pulled her knees close to her, wrapping her arms around them. She eyed the playful scene before her for only a minute longer, before lowering her head onto her knees.  
  
"...Nago........."  
  
No matter how much she tried to restrain, her mind always trailed back to the memory of her mate.  
  
It was a strange turnaround for her...memories from the past that used to bring a good feeling and warmth to her now brought tears to her eyes.  
  
"...Why?"  
  
Reihana sniffed quietly and clenched her watering eyes.  
  
Why did it still seem to her that his voice was still so near?  
  
"...Reihana?"  
  
"...Yes...Nago?"  
  
"...What?"  
  
Reihana snapped awake immediately.  
  
No, it was not Nago; it was Auron, looking at her with some concern. He pushed some dripping hair out of his face and pulled up his surfboard beside him.  
  
"...Why does he sound so much like him?", Reihana thought to herself quietly.  
  
Auron blinked once and resumed his glance.  
  
"Are you alright?", he asked her, some concern evident in his voice.  
  
Reihana nodded (somewhat dully), and smiled softly.  
  
"Yes, I'm okay", she answered.  
  
"I was just...thinking a bit."  
  
Auron cocked his head quizzically to the side and looked into her eyes.  
  
"Have you been crying?", he asked.  
  
"No", she answered instinctively, but she reached up and rubbed her eyes, somewhat giving herself away.  
  
"Some sand just got in my eyes...but I wasn't crying."  
  
Auron nodded in return, but it was almost obvious that he was far from being convinced.  
  
"Okay", he said, before changing the subject.  
  
"I just noticed that you were sitting up here all by yourself, and I was wondering if you...if you wanted to try it out."  
  
To explain 'it', he pulled up his surfboard and presented it.  
  
"Oh!", Reihana reacted in surprise.  
  
"You mean...me taking it in the water?...no thanks."  
  
She responded very quickly, which gave Auron the air to pursue the offering.  
  
"C'mon", he urged.  
  
"It'll be fun, you'll see!"  
  
"No thanks, I'm comfortable right here."  
  
"But you'll love it!"  
  
"The water's too wet."  
  
Her girly excuse made Auron laugh; Rei noted that his teeth were much cleaner than Stitch's or Owen's.  
  
"No, seriously", Auron said, after his guffawing had died down.  
  
"Let's go!"  
  
Now, Reihana sighed in some exasperation, and lowered her head. Auron immediately realized that this was no joke, and that he may have just crossed a line of comfort.  
  
But before he could start apologizing, Reihana explained herself.  
  
"Auron...", she began slowly.  
  
"I'm...I'm really afraid of the water. Jus seeing it in such large quantities makes me nervous...so I really don't want to do it, okay?"  
  
At her confession, Auron nodded solemnly.  
  
"Okay", he said.  
  
"That's fine, too...but just so that you know...if you do ever want to try it, I promise that I won't let anything happen to you."  
  
Again, the question flashed through Reihana's mind;  
  
"Why does he sound so much like Nago?"  
  
She remembered just how broken-hearted Nago would look when her 'stubborness' caused them to postpone fun...just like the surfing.  
  
But...eventually, when Nago would finally push her into trying, he kept his word. The ride wasn't always fun for her, but what she had thought to be dangerous before couldn't be safer with Nago, who kept her from all harm.  
  
It made Nago very happy...which made her happy.  
  
Reihana looked up at Auron again...and finally agreed to try it out.  
  
***  
  
Auron slid the board into the water before Rei could climb onto it. She preferred getting her ankles a bit wet than to have Auron lift her, so he held the board steady for her as she balanced herself in a sitting position.  
  
"Comfortable?", Auron asked her, once she was 'settled'.  
  
"Kinda...", she replied, considering that nothing about the gently-rocking seemed stable.  
  
Auron nodded happily and waded into the water until he had to swim. He pulled himself to the front of the board and gripped it with both hands to keep himself afloat easier.  
  
"I'll pull you out", he told her.  
  
"If I go too far, just say so, okay?"  
  
"Okay", she replied, grasping the sides of the surfboard, deploring the fact that her hands were getting wet.  
  
Auron nodded and turned around in the water, releasing the board with one hand to swim with. He began paddling out into the deeper water, easily pulling Rei and the board behind him.  
  
Silent rumblings of tension began building in Rei's chest, as she looked over the side of the board, and saw the water growing darker and darker. She inhaled deeply, telling herself disciplinarily that nothing was going to happen.  
  
They passed Owen and Peka, drifting in the opposite direction.  
  
"Hey, Reihana!", Owen called out, standing up in excitement (to see her 'drifting' along as well).  
  
"How's it going? Are you catching any fish-WHOAH!"  
  
A wave had suddenly flowed in and turbulenced the boards. Owen was almost thrown in, but was once again saved from drowning, this time from Peka. As she lunged forward and grabbed him his backward-momentum was reversed, and he fell forward, onto the board, his face splashing into the water for a second before he pulled it back out with a horrified gasp.  
  
After only a few seconds of fear and aftershock, Peka hid her face; she was giggling incessively.  
  
"'Catch any fish?'", she quoted him, in-between gasps of laughter.  
  
"You might've!"  
  
While she might've laughed, Reihana was of a completely different emotion. She was physically unmoved by the wave, but had felt it pass under her like a shadow of dread. Now, she didn't dare to move a muscle.  
  
Auron had turned around and noticed this.  
  
"I'll stop here, okay?", he asked her.  
  
Reihana nodded, even though wasn't anywhere near to being okay.  
  
Auron let go of the board and dived under it, emerging on the other side, next to Rei.  
  
"Try floating out here for a minute", he suggested.  
  
"It's very relaxing..."  
  
Reihana again and tried her best to look contented.  
  
"I'll try it", she promised.  
  
Auron smiled widely at her and let go of the board.  
  
"Alright!", he said happily, and threw himself backwards and away from the board.  
  
He began back-paddling swiftly and effortlessly, away from Reihana.  
  
"Hey!", she called out, suddenly in alarm.  
  
"Don't leave me here!"  
  
"I won't!", Auron called back, still paddling on his back.  
  
"I'll just swim around you a bit!"  
  
True to his word, he made an angle in his swim, and began a slow circle around the floating surfboard.  
  
*********  
  
Rei watched him swim carelessly and playfully around her for several minutes. She wouldn't have admitted it to anybody, but watching him made her feel calmer than she was.  
  
Perhaps it was knowing that he could rescue her if anything were to happen...perhaps it just the fact that she had a friend that she felt close to, more than the others.  
  
And possibly, there was a smidgeon of attraction.  
  
Whenever this suggestion would present itself, Reihana would violently try to force it out of her head. Not only did it hurt her to believe that she could not control her own thoughts of attraction, but it hurt her even more to think that she was letting Nago down, and desecrating his memory.  
  
She kept telling herself that there would never ever be another Nago...meaning that she would never ever love again.  
  
Her pact of celibacy was a hard one...but she had sworn herself to endure it and remain true.  
  
...But Auron looked so incredibly sexy-  
  
No!  
  
*********  
  
From his constantly-changing position of circle-swimming, Auron would occasionally dare a glance at Reihana. He was happy to see that she was now a bit more reclined on the board, which indicated that she was probably less anxious about being on water.  
  
...It still bothered him that he could not look at her without his eyes tracing out the attractive lines of her body, in a way that he didn't look at anybody else.  
  
He never thought that the hand of attraction would ever touch him...mainly because there had never been any other Experiments around for him to feel attracted to.  
  
And even now, why was it Rei? Peka and Twyla were extremely good-looking as well, but he didn't feel anything like this about them...  
  
So why Reihana, who had just lost her lover, and was still grieving?  
  
His pondering of that question was cut short; he had looked up, and saw a wave building in the distance. It wasn't necessarily a big one, but definitely large enough to make quite a ripple.  
  
Reihana had obviously noticed it too, and she quickly sat up straight and looked around desperately for Auron.  
  
"I'm coming!", he called to her, before she could call him.  
  
"Just a second!"  
  
True to his word, he was by her in only seconds.  
  
"Better get back", he said, grabbing the helm of the board again.  
  
He pulled it around and began paddling steadily back to the beach.  
  
Reihana dared a look back, and saw that the wave was growing even larger, and was drawing even closer.  
  
"Hurry!", she urged.  
  
"Don't worry", Auron assured her.  
  
"It's probably gonna crash at least a few hundred feet from us...we'll just feel the ripple."  
  
Reihana look to her right, and saw, not far away, that Peka and Owen were paddling their own surfboard back towards the beach with hasty persistence.  
  
Less than ten seconds later, they heard the crashing and thundering of wave on water. The wave had fallen, and now its considerable force was sending a roll of force across the water, in the direction of the beach.  
  
Reihana saw it approaching, and gripped the sides of the board as tightly as she could.  
  
The mighty ripple pushed underneath them like a tank; lifting the surfboard (and Auron) up considerably on its wet shoulders.  
  
Reihana's screech of terror was cut out by Auron's whoop of excitement, which was drowned out by Owen's screaming. In the distance, Stitch's shout of glee was very audible.  
  
The wave had separated Auron from Rei and the surfboard. Rei noticed this when she opened her eyes again, and saw Auron a good fifteen feet away from her, looking around.  
  
"I'm over here!", she called out, panicky once again about being apart from him.  
  
He swished around and smiled at her reassuringly.  
  
"I'm coming!", he called back, and started swimming towards her at a moderate pace.  
  
"That was a big one, huh?"  
  
Reihana nodded, and made to look over at Peka and Owen, to see if they were alright as well.  
  
They were, but they didn't catch her attention. Something else did.  
  
As her eyes began to head towards the other surfboard, Reihana noticed something in the water...right below her; in front of the board.  
  
...Were there eyes in the water?  
  
"...Hey, Auron?", she called, uneasily.  
  
"What's this?"  
  
"What's what?", Auron asked, as he swam closer to her.  
  
Reihana began to say something in answer, but she never got to finish. She wouldn't know then, but the eyes in the water belonged to a big fish; not a shark, nor anything that would exceed but a fine few inches in size. It was just an abnormally large fish, which decided that this was the time to jump out of the water...right in Reihana's face.  
  
As said before, it wasn't a dangerous fish, and it didn't hurt her, but it surprised her enough to throw her backwards...into the water.  
  
What happened next went very quickly. It was in less than a second that Auron pulling back up towards the surface, but it was enough time for him to realize exactly why other Experiments were afraid of the water.  
  
He had shot towards her the moment he saw that she was falling, but he couldn't be fast enough to get to her before she hit the water...and when she did, she immediately began to sink. There was no moment in which was still at the surface, even though she thrashed desperately. It was as if the water itself were pulling her down, more against her will than imaginable.  
  
She was more than two feet submerged when Auron reached into the water and pulled her up with such force that it might have hurt her. He had seen into her open eyes when she had been under the water...and her terror had been inexpressible.  
  
*********  
  
He had barely a need to hold her; she had clamped herself so tightly to him that it almost hurt. Auron wrapped one arm around her anyway and looked around for the surfboard. She had somehow kicked it away when she had fallen off of it; it was now too far away to swim to (considering that he was holding Reihana). He was about to scream for help when Owen and Peka announced their arrival from behind.  
  
"We're coming!", Peka called out as she and Owen paddled towards them as fast as they could.  
  
"Hold on!"  
  
Auron breathed heavily, but somewhat assuredly, knowing that backup was on the way.  
  
He turned his attention Reihana, and tried to calm her down.  
  
"It's okay", he told her breathily.  
  
"Just hold on for a second."  
  
She gave him no response. He feared the worst.  
  
***  
  
In less than a minute, Owen and Peka had managed to get over to them. Auron had trouble lifting himself onto the board with just one hand; the other two had to hoist him up.  
  
"What happened?", Peka asked immediately, with extreme worry.  
  
"She fell off the board", Auron told her.  
  
"I'm not sure what happened...good God, Rei; say something!"  
  
Reihana wasn't saying anything; her face was buried in his shoulder.  
  
Peka hesitated, then gently placed her head close to Rei's. There was complete silence for a moment, then Peka reported urgently;  
  
"She's not breathing!"  
  
"What?!", Auron said, his voice rising in his fearfulness.  
  
"Why isn't she breathing?!"  
  
"Did she swallow any water?", Peka suggested.  
  
"I th-think so...why?"  
  
There was another pause of silence...before Peka realized what must be going on.  
  
"She's choking!", she finally cried.  
  
"She's choking!"  
  
"How the Hell can she choking?!", Auron yelled back, but then immediately said to Reihana;  
  
"Rei, spit it out!"  
  
"Hit her on the back!", Owen yelled, remembering the only life-saving procedure known to him.  
  
Reihana would not budge from her grip on Auron, no matter how much Peka tried to 'loosen' her. Eventually, she just slapped her on the back as hard as she could from right there.  
  
There was an effect. Reihana raised her head from Auron's shoulder, her eyes closed. She made an upchucking noise that suggested that she was going to be sick...then coughed an entire lungful of water over Auron's shoulder, onto Owen's feet.  
  
That seemed to bring her back to life. She coughed several times more, spitting up even more water. As her coughs subsided, they turned into quiet, uncontrollable crying, and Reihana put her head back into Auron's shoulder.  
  
"Owen", Peka addressed, looking up.  
  
"Paddle us back to the beach."  
  
Under normal circumstances, Owen would've complained excessively about being made to do it alone, but now, he simply nodded and did so. The mournful look on his face suggested that he himself had done something wrong.  
  
It was a slow ride, made even more pain-bearing with Reihana's sobs. Peka and Auron made only a few gentle attempts of getting her to talk before deciding it would be best to let her cry it out. So, Auron simply hugged her close and nuzzled her neck as she wet his with her tears, and Peka rubbed her back from behind.  
  
Her crying eventually got quieter as they approached the beach. Owen paddled the surfboard right up to the sand, so they would bee able to lift Rei onto the beach without getting her wet.  
  
Auron carried her to dry ground, with Peka supporting him. They sat down (Auron had to; Rei still wouldn't let go of him) on a warm spot and tried again to get Rei to say something...it was without effect.  
  
Her tears were starting to have an effect on her holder. Auron tried to repress his own sadness, but seeing Rei in such a miserable way was having a toll on him.  
  
Carefully, he lifted her into a cradle-like position and rubbed his face close to her's.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Rei...", he whispered to her.  
  
"Dear God, I'm sorry..."  
  
Reihana sniffed once in-between her sobs, and Auron nuzzled her. He hugged and cuddled her in a way that he had never done before.  
  
He so wanted her to feel better, and to do so, it seemed, was to pour a bit of his own spirit into her.  
  
*********  
  
By now, everybody else seemed to know that something was going on. Stitch and Lilo were swiftly drifting back towards the beach. David and Nani were running towards them from another direction. Apprehension and worry was evident on all of their faces.  
  
Before the others had a chance to swamp them, Reihana brought her head up, her nose against Auron's.  
  
"...It's not your fault", she sobbed to him.  
  
"It's not your fault...you saved me."  
  
Hope surged through Auron once again as she spoke. He smiled through his small amount of tears at her.  
  
"You're gonna be okay", he promised her.  
  
"I promise-...you're gonna be alright."  
  
Reihana nodded and sniffed.  
  
"...Th-thank you for saving me."  
  
Before the others could see, Auron replied to her with a small kiss on her nose.  
  
*********  
  
(A/N: YES! IT IS DONE!!! MY LAZY BUTT HAS FINALLY REGAINED SOME OF its NEED TO WRITE!!! THIS FEELS GREAT!!! YEEEAAAH!!!  
  
...Okay; I'm sorry about this taking so long [I'm kind of making that a habit by now, huh?]. I think the next chapter will be updated in shorter time; it contains some material that I really wanna write about, so at least I'll have some inspiration [with the exception of all my fantastic reviews; thank you all so much!].  
  
***  
  
Alright...Author-to-Reviewer parts!  
  
BudgieBrain – Auron isn't going back yet because...well, he just got there! He's only been there for a few days. Besides, if you'll remember, Auron is concerned about the threat of another bounty-hunter...or whatever the Predator was.  
  
RedPurity - ...I'm gonna have to get used to that name, now [but I still like it!]. Don't worry about Auron and Rei...in the future, there'll be 'more than meets the eye'...  
  
Took-Baggins – yeah, that would've been a fun idea to put in. Maybe, after I finish the story, I'll correct all the mistakes, and maybe even add that part...thanks for the suggestion!  
  
Bluefox Gantu's Lover and Mate – thank you SO MUCH for all of your support! I have to acknowledge it publicly: YOU ARE AWESOME!!!  
  
***  
  
Until then, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. See ya soon!) 


	17. My Only Love

(A/N: this is a flashback from Reihana's fast: a happy memory from a past not-too-long-ago. Expect my apologies and other words at the end)

* * *

Love and Burden  
by The Great Red Dragon 

Chapter 17

* * *

On a small, bustling spaceport that orbited the planet Yalun (an extended distance from Turo), a mid-sized yellow spacecraft lay docked, along with many others, next to a gigantic, spike-shaped building. This building was not uncommon to architects; it was the intergalactic design.

The 'spike', from afar, seemed to be dotted with tiny specks of light, which turned out to be several thousands of windows. The base of the spike was linked to the 'parking lot' by way of an artificial air-tunnel that people could walk through. This way lead into the lobby of the giant structure, which happened to be a hotel.

Up in one of the higher, middle-class rooms, Reihana sat at a desk, in front of flat-top computer. Her fingers tapped over the keyboard energetically as she finished the final lines of an e-mail letter.

After another minute, she sat back, remarked at her poor grammar, took another minute to correct her mistakes. Lastly, she proof-read her message:

* * *

"_Dear 411,_

_hey__, you haven't written in the last few days…is something up?_

_Well, forgive me if I immediately pull the subject upon myself selfishly, but I'm feeling so incredibly good right now that I have to share it with somebody!_

_Remember when we talked about how much we wanted to see the ringed moons in the Vedos system? And the Noktel gardens in Mikatu? Not to mention all of the overly-exotic and most exciting places you'd ever want to visit?_

_Well, guess what: I'm actually going there! Each and every place!_

_I really wish you had decided to come with us; I'd enjoy talking to you much more than I do writing in this stupid device…then again, I don't think Nago would like any 'intrusion'…_

_I won't go into details, but I think that I've got just about the best man in the entire universe. Nago's the one who's gonna take me to all of these places (duh), and you wouldn't believe just how good he is…y'know, when it's only me and him around, he becomes a completely different person. It's a bit hard to explain…but what the heck; he's too good to share! :p_

_He went out for a while to get some supplies and stuff (probably something to eat), but he said he was gonna be back soon, so forgive me to cut this message so short, but…you understand, don't you?_

_I promise to write again soon…but why aren't you replying at all? Send me some reply, so I know that you're alright, okay? Don't worry me!_

_I hope to hear from ya soon, 411…_

_Love,  
__Reihana_"

* * *

Satisfied, she hit the 'send' button, the website's trademark tune jangled annoying, and a computerized informed her; "Message sent".

No sooner had she done this was there an electronic buzz of the room's doorbell. Reihana jumped up excitedly from the chair and hurried over to the door. She pressed the 'open' button and the door whizzed open sideways: surely it had to be Nago-

"Your car keys, miss."

Reihana was hit with major disappointment. It wasn't Nago…instead, a short, round-bodied and grey-skinned creature held out the glittering silver keys of Nago's spaceship model. He was wearing a company-distributed suit, which looked obviously awful on his type of species. He was taller than her, and held them down for her reach.

"Oh…thank you", she said to him, quickly trying to hide her disappointment.

"Sorry it took so long", he apologized in a strong foreign accent.  
"Every place was filled up; I had to blow somebody else's ship up to make room."

By the way that he pulled forth the side of his coat to display a hand-held cannon, Reihana knew he was barely joking…and she was very glad that Nago had insisted on only the highest tips in such a grandiose place.

The creature smiled and turned to leave. Reihana stepped back, ready to close the door, when a familiar voice grabbed her attention;

"Hold the door!"

Her face brightened instantaneously as she heard the voice, and she looked back out into the hallway in glee.

Nago hurried towards her, looking as fine as ever with his attractive dark-orange fur, and badger-black furred eyes and ear…the fact that he was carrying a large bag of groceries didn't tarnish his appearance.

Reihana stepped further inside so he could as well, and he pressed the door shut behind him. He had barely turned around to set down the bag that he was hugged warmly around the neck by Rei, causing him to almost drop the bag.

"Hey-!", he objected in instinctive protest, but quickly forgot any negative feelings when he remembered who was showing him such love.

Reihana nuzzled his neck lovingly as he gently wrapped his arms around her and cuddled her in his embrace. She purred as his muzzle found her neck as well, and he kissed her soft, tranquil fur and squeezed her gently.

"Hey, baby", he cooed into her ear, and followed it with another kiss.  
"How've you been?"

She lifted her head from his shoulder and his nice-smelling fur, and pecked him gently on his lips.

"I missed you", she replied quietly, with a small smile.  
  
"Aww…", he replied playfully, stroking her neck.  
"I was only gone for fifteen minutes…"

"I still missed you", was her reply, as she rubbed herself against him as much as she could.

Nago cooed softly again, and gently moved his face close to her's. He found her lips, and carefully parted them with his own. Reihana willingly accepted his offer, and she felt a shiver of warming, infinite goodness move up her body, as she returned her mate's love.

They kissed for several minutes…long enough for any other couple to have thought it enough. But the fact was that Rei and Nago were unable to get 'enough' of eachother. Every time Reihana's lips were met Nago's, she felt an extreme abundance of warmness, so pleasant that she was ready to succumb to him completely. And whenever she snuggled against him, and he embraced her with his strong, conditioned arms, she felt safe, protected, warm, harmonious, and loved. The same was true for Nago, who had resolved his life to protecting and loving his mate. He would be ready to overcome any obstacle, create wonders of the universe, and even die for her. Needlessly said, the same was true for Reihana.

When their kiss finally ceased, they stood and held eachother close in a warm embrace, nuzzling and cuddling the other as much they could, still entranced in their own love, and deeply loving eachother.

"I love you…", Reihana whispered quietly to her lover, her head resting on his shoulder.

He nuzzled her and kissed her neck in reply.

"I love you too, baby."

He squeezed her lovingly for a few more seconds before releasing a bit of his grip, so he could bring his head up and admire her. He looked down at her from his taller height, and she too raised her head from against his body.

Nago looked down at her and smiled, and she did the same; God, she loved him so much.

"How're you doing, baby?", he asked her kindly, still holding her close.

"Okay", she replied  
"Now that you're here."

Nago gave her a tiny kiss on the nose and took her hand to lead her into the apartment further, carrying the bag in the other hand.

"I went out to get some food", he told her, and proved true her previous assumption.  
"Now I can cook you some dinner."

"I'm going to cook tonight", Reihana insisted in return.

"…You?", Nago asked her slowly, as if he didn't believe her.

"Sure; why not?", she persisted.

Nago cringed, and sought his words carefully as he set down the bag of food.

"Well…remember when you tried to cook a few months ago while I was gone, and you started…a fire? You almost died…"

"I did not!", Reihana protested playfully.  
"And there was no fire!...just a little smoke!"

Nago cocked his eyebrow at her.

"And we were thrown out of the hotel because of a little smoke?", he questioned slyly.  
"We had to sleep in the ship that night, remember?"

"I don't remember you complaining", Reihana retorted.  
"When I made you that sandwich then, which you said was the best you ever tasted."

Nago smiled and laughed good-naturedly.

"Okay, I'll give you that, Rei…"

He pulled her back into a hug and pressed a kiss against her lips.

"But please let me cook tonight…I have something special planned."

"Oooh!", Reihana wowed in surprise.  
"What's it going to be?"

"You shouldn't ask", Nago warned playfully.  
"It spoils the surprise."

* * *

Nago had many amazing qualities. His Experiment-given powers included greater-than-natural strength, speed, and agility, and an advanced, strategic mind. Other than that, he enjoyed video-work and writing poetry; when he had been in Jumba's lab, he had borrowed a camera to act out the storyline of one of his longer works.

But, probably most surprisingly, he was an amazing cook.

His style resembled the crazy, swinging Cantonese, but he also relied heavily on spicing and hand-perfection of all courses.  
His cooking amazed Reihana. He often asked her to step out of the kitchen when he would begin heating up the stove, and she believed that it was his fear for her own safety. Nago hardly made a mistake or spilt a drop while cooking, but Rei believed he had this frightening vision of a fork or a knife going flying…

So now she sat on a bench several feet from the kitchen door, which was slightly ajar, and allowed her a vertical letterbox-view of what went on inside. Nago whipped and flashed across her view frequently, handling boiling, spitting pots and pans expertly, and throwing bits of meat, vegetables, and spices to their destination. The hissing of angry fryers was quite alarming, and fine smoke engulfed the small kitchen like a fire-tent. All was accompanied by the constant, mild cursing of Nago; the cries of a cook who was fighting for perfection.

Then, suddenly, all of the sounds and noises of a bustling kitchen immediately ceased: the angry spitting, frying, clanging, fizzing, and shouting fell silent in a single second.

Reihana got up from her bench and carefully made her way over to the kitchen…she poked her head inside, and found only the quite tranquil image of Nago grinding fine pepper and garlic over a fully-prepared dish.

"It's ready!", he informed her.  
"Go set the table, would you please?"

Reihana nodded, noticing the absolutely delicious smell, and hurried to the small dining table and removed all the clutter from the top of it. She had enough time to grab and set down a pair of glasses and silverware before Nago came, loaded like a waiter, carrying four different plates in each of his hands.

He motioned for Rei to sit down, and when she did, he placed a filled plate in front of her on the table.

"Oh, it looks wonderful!", she remarked honestly, as the aroma filled her again.  
"…What is it?"

"Lonian lobster with a cream sauce", Nago answered, setting down the other plates.  
"Spiced vegetable-medley and a Turian frommage'…and I made crusts and ice cream for desert."

He sat down on a chair close to Reihana and pulled a bottle of white wine out of the nearly-empty grocery bag.

"I tried about four different other things, but I ruined them…I finished them, but I don't think they'll taste the way they should…"

Reihana suppressed a giggle at his need for perfection; the previously-made food would taste great as well, but Nago saw more negativity in his own work than anyone else's; he was a perfectionist.

She took a forkful bite of the delicacies on her plate, and wowed in how absolutely exquisite it tasted.

"This is great!", she complimented him.  
"Wonderful! I love it!"

Nago smiled discreetly and folded his arms on the table top.

"I'm glad you like it", he replied kindly.

Reihana ate several more bites of her food before she realized that Nago wasn't eating at all; he didn't even have a plate of his own.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?", she asked him, amazed that he wasn't already digging into such a great meal.

"I'm not hungry", he told her, shrugging his shoulders.

"Come on!", she insisted.  
"You outdid yourself with this great stuff! Eat some!"

"No, thanks", he told her, showing another smile.  
"You enjoy it."

Reihana tried to persist, but Nago only filled her glass with sweet, white wine and then his own. He told her playfully to be quiet and if she though the food was so wonderful, she should eat it herself before he changed his mind.  
Reihana wasn't offended by this, but she felt a certain suspicion that this wasn't all just for nothing…

Nago was very romantic, and despite that all his love and affection was forever unceasing, she had known him to invite extra special behaviour during…special occasions, or if he wished to make a special occasion of his own…

She finished her meal, and decided to wait.

* * *

It was some time later. Reihana had finished the meal, and she and Nago had both finished the home-made ice cream. They were both lying on the sofa, and the television blared an inter-galactic comedy sitcom that they both enjoyed, and they laughed occasionally.

Nago held Reihana against him, in a belly-to-back position, both of them lying down. It was comfortable, Reihana thought, especially with her love holding her close.  
She snuggled herself against his chest comfortably, and put her hands on top of his.

"I love you…", she whispered quietly to him.

Nago replied without any words. Instead, he leaned up and pressed a kiss against her neck. And another…and another.  
Reihana closed her eyes blissfully as Nago speckled the fur on her neck and cheek with his constant, loving kisses, and sighed at the good feeling. She felt as Nago began rubbing her belly seductively, and his kisses slowly trailed to her shoulder and upper arm. His other arm stroked her cheek lightly, and she nuzzled her face into his palm.

She knew what he was searching for.

Carefully, she turned herself onto her back to face up at him, and he smiled lovingly at her. He lowered himself to kiss her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him down into a long-lasting kiss.  
His hands massaged her back gently; he was careful not to hurt her with his claws. She trusted him, and leaned into their kiss as deeply as she could. Once they broke apart, Nago stared down at her, with the love, care, and passion in the world.

"Do you want to…?"

She knew what he meant…she had known ever since he had started.  
Reihana leaned back up and pressed another smooch against his lips, before replying quietly;

"Yes, I do…my love."

A smile slowly widened on his face, and he returned the kiss in fullest. They cuddled for another several minutes, allowing their love and passion to rise before they eventually took to the act.

Soon, Nago stood up from the couch and gently pulled Reihana to her feet. He smiled warmly at her and kissed her again before taking her by the hand. Reihana squeezed his palm in anticipation as he led her towards the bedroom; she really couldn't wait.  
Nago took her inside and closed the door behind them; it seemed to give him a sense of security.

He turned back to Reihana and pulled her close.

"Are you sure you want to?", he asked her gently.  
"Because it would be alright if you didn't…"

Reihana smiled and kissed him on the tip of his nose.

"Of course I want to", she assured him.  
"I love you…love me now, okay?"

Once again, Nago had no verbal reply. He simply lowered himself to his love's level so he could share yet another kiss with her. As always, she accepted his love openly, and returned it with all her heart.  
Nago gently eased her onto the soft, warm bed, and crawled up on top of her. He covered her body like a warm blanket, and in her bliss, felt only the eternal love she held and would always hold for him.

"I love you, my Reihana…"

"…I love you, too, Nago."

* * *

It was several hours later. Night had inter-galactically set in, and the majority of the hotel windows had turned dark. Several employees had turned down for quiet-time…in fact, most of the hotel had turned quiet altogether.

Reihana lay in the bed, next to Nago. Their apartment was now dark, like most of the others. Her mate seemed fast asleep, and faced the other opposite direction she was. He was on the opposite side of the bed as well.  
It was warm, and Reihana only held the covers up to her stomach. She could barely see in the dark, but her expression very sad.

Nothing bad had happened between them. They had gone through with the blissful love-making with all love instead of lust. They had cleaned eachother tenderly, and were both more than willing to go to sleep.  
Nago had fallen asleep with her in his arms.

"I love you, Reihana…", he said told her, before he drifted off.

Reihana would have loved to escape consciousness and have gone to sleep to…but, unbeknownst to her lover, it was after every love-making that her mind became occupied with such thoughts and emotions that allowed her no rest or true respiration.

She reached down and rubbed a hand across her stomach. She felt the unexposed skin under her sleek, perfect fur, and did her best to suppress a tear:  
Her belly was flat; attractively flat, with no excess weight or skin. It was easy for her to maintain.

What was in stomach? Nago's breathtaking dinner, probably finishing its digestion…and that was all.

They had made love many, many times…a lot more in the beginning than now, but she estimated at a pace at once every month or half-month.

Nago was a great, passionate, and gentle lover; there was nothing wrong with his sex. Reihana loved the way he did it, and how he made her feel during the process…she would then feel ready to give herself completely to him, willingly, knowing that he would never ever hurt or discomfort her, only love her mind and her soul, as he always did.

Everything was perfect about their love…except one thing:  
They had been together for several months, and had made love often…but nothing had ever come of it.

Reihana wanted to be a mother. She felt and knew that she was ready to conceive and raise a child of her own. She also knew that she would make a good mother, and was ready to give her love to small pup that she would bear.

Nago, whom she knew could be the only father for her child, had seen how happy a child would make her, and decided that if she would be a loving, caring, and willing mother, he would be a loving, caring, and willing father. If she was ready, he was ready as well.

They had tried many, many times…often, their sex would be for the sole purpose of attempting to create their child…but, to make it a tragedy, every single try had been without success.

They both knew its cause, now; Nago, though physically powerful and healthy, and the perfect mate to conceive a healthy child with, carried an infertile seed. Perhaps it had something to do with the process of which he was created, but whatever it was, he remained unable to fertilize his mate…begin the formation of a pup inside of her.

Nothing they had tried had proved successful. From commercialized and supposedly miracle-working products to medical help, they all had the same, negative result experienced time and time again.

It was finally until the point where Nago had allowed himself to be medically examined, to search for possible ways that he may reverse his in-fertileness. Aside from being astounded by artificial build and Experiment-capabilities, the doctors had all returned to them with a sad frown and the bad news: it was impossible for Nago to become a father.

They continued to suggest that Reihana seek out a donor that could supply her with the fertilization-seed she needed; she could find a strong character that would produce a strong baby.

Reihana had refused at once. Nobody, if anybody, would be the father of her child than her own love…but that, seemingly, would mean that there would never be a child.

Reihana fought against a sob and was unable to repress it. She broke the silence audibly, and then continued to press her face into the pillow to hide her tears.

"Reihana?"

Reihana raised her head abruptly; had she awoken Nago, or had he been awake the whole time?

She turned around, and found his shining, night-vision eyes looking at her in the dark.

"…Are you crying?", he asked her worriedly.

She knew it was useless to lie to him.

"…Yes."

His supposed worry was immediately replaced with the actual worry. He blinked quickly.

"…Oh", he replied quickly.  
"Oh, oh, oh…what's wrong, baby?"

He hurriedly moved over to her, and she willingly snuggled into his arms as he wrapped them around her warmly. He nuzzled her face as best as he could, and kissed the top of her head.

"Reihana, baby, what's wrong?", he asked again, as he cuddled her in his embrace warmly.

She allowed herself to cry for a while before nuzzling his chest in return and looking up at him.

"…Remember…remember how I always wanted a child?", she asked him quietly.

He exhaled in an extended "Oh" in realization of what she meant, and pressed his muzzle close to her's gently.

"Reihana…my love…my baby…", he whispered to her softly as he squeezed her in his arms.  
"Please don't cry, Rei…"

Reihana sobbed as she had done before and nuzzled him back, in both of their consolation.

"It's just that…it's just that…", she stammered and repeated.  
"It's just that…I really want to be a mother…but…we…"

Nago silenced her gently;

"Shhh…its okay…"

He kissed her gently on the cheek and nuzzled her once more.

"…I really wanna be a father, too", he told her.  
"But if anything, it's my fault that I can't be…it has absolutely nothing to do with you, Reihana."

"I know…", Reihana whimpered.  
"I know…"

She found nothing to say, and tried to calm herself by snuggling as deeply as she could into Nago's arm, using his fur to suppress her tears.  
After a while of quiet-time cuddling and much hugging, she could feel Nago building up to say something…she raised her head to look at him.

"…I know that this must weigh the harder on you, between the two of us", he confessed to her.  
"And that, without any of it being your fault…just me and my faulty engineering, that won't let you receive…what both of us want."

He squeezed her gently and kissed her head once more.

"Y'know", he told her.  
"If you decided to, I wouldn't mind…well…if somebody else would be the biological father."

Reihana looked up at him in immediate surprise.

"…What?", she asked.

"It wouldn't matter to me; I'd still love him or her like my own…", he continued, approaching the subject she was so fully decided about.

"No", she cut him off, stronger than one might have expected.

She looked him straight in the eyes and made clear the point that she had so fully resolved herself to.

"You are going to be only father of our child, and the only mate for me", she told him.  
"I don't want anybody else…just you."

Although her 'outburst' had been short, it was enough to surprise Nago…and even to suppress her.  
She felt that she had shamed him speaking to him like that…and she tried to turn away from him.  
But he held her tight, and manoeuvred until he managed to meet her eyes again.

"I understand", he told her honestly.  
"I really do…and now I agree; no one else will touch you besides me."

His words, even though dominant, somehow made her feel better and more secure…so good that she returned to his embrace and against his chest, where he held here close once again.

When he spoke again, it was in a much softer, gentler voice that she knew.

"I'll find a way", he promised her.  
"I promise right here and right now; I'll find a way to make it happen."

Reihana looked at him in disbelief.

"…But how?", she asked him, immediately ashamed that she had revealed her own doubts.  
"How can you?...how could you?"

He stayed still for several seconds…then, showed her a smile that did wonders to suppress her worry.

"I'll find a way", he told her again.  
"I promise that I'll find a way to give you a child…that'll be my own child as well…even if I have to do something as drastic as knock on God's door and demand that he change me."

Reihana burst out with a tiny giggle.

"I thought…I thought you didn't believe in God", she said to him.

He shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't believe in religion", he corrected her.  
"But that doesn't believe that I don't believe in God."

He exhaled deeply.

"But that's not the point", he told her, returning to the subject.  
"I don't care what I have to do, or how I have to do it…but I promise that I'll find some way to make it happen…to give us a kid."

He continued;

"I know that it's the most important thing to you, and so it is with me, too…I'd love our child as much as I love you, and it'd another step towards making you happy…to making us happy…I promise that somehow I'll get it done."

Reihana didn't know how to respond to this impressive resolution her lover had just made. She didn't know how to say anything in return…aside from that even though she had no idea how this was possible, or how Nago would even be able to do it…but she believed him.  
She knew that in words and ambition, it would happen…for he had never ever broken his promise or let her down.

Without anything she could think of to say, she simply nodded against his chest and snuggled back against him. Nago gave her a gentle squeeze and kissed her cheek tenderly. Reihana turned her face towards his, and lured him softly into a kiss. She closed her eyes blissfully and allowed herself to be entranced in their kindled love, and purred in pleasure as he began to rub her back again, and she pulled herself as close to him as she could.

"I love you, Reihana", she heard him whisper to him when they broke away.

She rubbed her head affectionately against his neck and chest.

"I love you, too, Nago."

They snuggled and cuddle together for a few more minutes, when Reihana finally settled herself in a comfortable position against her mate. He felt her tiredness, and decided as well that it was time for some shut-eye.

His arms encircled her lovingly and possessively and he settled himself against her: a loving, willing protector.

"Good night, my love", he whispered to her.

She replied not with words, but kissed him lightly on his nose, before settling herself back into her comfy position.

Minutes passed, and she felt Nago's breathing relax to the rhythm that ensured that he was sleeping.  
Reihana laid quietly in the dark, eyes open, and listened to his peaceful, tranquil breathing. Once again, she was alone in her consciousness, in the dark, with her mate fallen asleep…  
But, this time, she felt no sorrow, and no sorrowful feelings filled her.

She kept on thinking and rethinking about what Nago had said to her…his pledge and promise to give her a child.

She still had no idea how he would ever be able to accomplish this…but she found comfort in his solemn words that kept away any sadness or worry.  
  
For once, her conscious solitude was there not to snare her in dismay, but to give her a chance to reflect on the many good things in her life…  
Nago, their love, their freedom, their life, his cooking, the adventures he gave her…all of it was so much more than she could have ever imagined, and so much more wonderful.

She wondered how she would ever be able to repay Nago for all the attention, understanding, friendship, protection, and love…how could she even harness the ability to give the same amount back to him?

Nago's voice seemed to drift into her head, as clear and loving as ever;

"_Just say that you love me, and be happy_."

Reihana looked up at Nago's drowsing face and smiling. She kissed him on the nose again, and settled back into her position. She closed her eyes, and for the first time in a long time, felt good after the loving.

"I love you, Nago…good night, my love."

* * *

"_I never meant to cause you any sorrow  
__I never meant to cause you any pain  
__I only one time wanted to see you laughing  
__Only want to see you laughing in the purple rain_"

Purple Rain,  
Prince

* * *

(A/N: as I sit here and write this, I feel extremely guilty in knowing that I have neglected this fic and others for a shamefully long time…and I'm sorry for it.  
The last time I updated was about two months ago, and that's more than a strain for readers to wait, especially if they are anxiously anticipating the next chapter…I hope you all can accept my apology, and deem me still worthy a writer. If it's any consolation, I believe that my streak of laziness is about over…I'm really going to try to get the next chapter done sooner…a lot sooner. I believe that's possible, now that I can a good morale from showing progress in school…I hope I'll also have an even better morale when it comes to writing.  
  
Once again, I'm sorry…  
  
Also, I'd like to stress that this chapter is certainly more…'sexual' than any others that I have written, and I want to point out strongly that none of this was ever meant to go in the direction of anything explict.  
I don't approve of hentai or NC-17/X-rated writing, so I did my best to keep all of the 'thematic' elements unrevealing and not at all passing the PG-13 line.  
At some time, I thought I would explore a bit into the more foreplay-like parts of what happened after Rei and Nago got on the bed…but I felt in immediate danger of contradicting my 'nothing-explict policy', and really focused on showing the love instead of the lust.  
I think that's important for all people…  
  
Anywho, I'm going to get started on the next chapter as soon as I can, which I hope will be pretty soon…  
Thank you all for your patience, and your wonderful attitudes about my stupid personal situations…I'll try hard not to disappoint you again)


	18. Uncovered Crimson

(A/N: this chapter, like the last one, is a flashback from Reihana's memory. It takes place before the previous one, during a time while she is still living in Jumba's laboratory, and before the raid)

* * *

Love and Burden  
by The Great Red Dragon

* * *

Chapter 18 

* * *

471 sat alone in Jumba's office. Lunch was being served to the other Experiments in the great cafeteria, but she, under special privilege given by Jumba, was allowed to enjoy the mid-day in solitude whenever she liked. She did this often; she wasn't fond of the ever-reoccurring food fights, or the food itself, or the company of 500 and more Experiments all talking, shouting, laughing, and causing one heck of racket. 

In Jumba's office, she felt more comfortable. There was no commotion, no irritation, and nobody to jump out and surprise her (that happened a lot, once the Experiments learned of how fearful she could be).  
She couldn't help but feel the slightest bit spoiled as she stirred mashed potatoes and fried nakku in her tray; Jumba often shared his menu with her before he ordered from his favorite restaurant.  
471 actually had quite a lot of fun when she sat there alone, when Jumba had left the room for some reason. Even though it irritated him, she felt like an important desk job worker as she filed through the mounds of papers that always lay scattered over his desk.

"You might be finding something that vould embarrass me", he warned her every time she did so.

But 471 knew that he'd enforce his words if there was any need to, so she kept up with her attempted cuteness…kept it up until Jumba left for the bathroom, shaking his large head heavily.  
Now that there was nobody there to get annoyed at her, she left slightly useless and even a bit lonely…even if Jumba had only left for a while. Aside from her pestering, she was very close to Jumba, and she to him.

With nothing else to do, she lifted plate onto her lap, from its previous resting place on the swiveling chair. She tried to spear the slippery, greasy nakku with her fork, found no effect, and slid the food carefully on top of the fork's cased spears. She lifted it carefully to her mouth, but it slipped off of her fork, and fell sloppily onto the papers on the desk.

"Shoot!", she hissed in both annoyance and immediate urgence; what would Jumba think if he found out that she had messed up his papers?

She hurried to clean it, knocking the tray off of her lap and onto the floor. With another hissed word of curse, she stepped down onto the chair and pulled forth a napkin. Pressing the paper down against the table, she rubbed and scrubbed at the dirtied papers as hard as she could without tearing them.  
Muttering stressedly under her breath, she found that she could remove the spots of grease, but the disgusting yellow stains remained.  
471 stood up on the chair and crushed the crinkled napkin in her hand, unsatisfied with her clean-up job.

Perhaps, she thought, it'd be the easiest way just to hide the papers…

Of course, she didn't mean to actually 'hide' them, so they'd never be found again, and possibly cause Jumba some toil and money…she just meant to jumble them up and underneath the other documents, so when Jumba was to find them, she could blame the means on some other cause.  
It was a bit of shrewd plan, but it coupled with her playful personality; it wasn't a crime, and Jumba would probably pass it with a glare.

So she began shuffling and ruffling papers about, making sure that the stained ones were put out of immediate sight, with a fair amount of other papers over them.  
Names and titles of these countless stapled documents fell under her eyes, and were entertaining for the moment they stood in her gaze.  
Broad, straight-forward names included "Computer Shipment", "Experiment Statistics", and "Food Delivery", whereas others were simply titled like "File 0967", and "Data Folder 12". Some of them seemed only like little memos that Jumba had decided to write on a folder instead of a sticky note; "_Get more spaghetti sauce_", "_281 wants a new chew-toy (non-flammable)_", and "_Private dinner tomorrow_".

471 checked the date of the last one, and smiled to find out that instead of his supposed dinner-for-one, Jumba had instead rented some videos for the Experiments to watch in the theater; it hadn't been long ago.

* * *

She became so involved with each folder and paper that she picked up that she was unaware about a certain red, ominous-looking folder that slowly moved towards her hand as she pulled the documents towards her. She would've noticed it sooner if not every folder she picked up prompted her to look into it, but it was sure enough that her reaching hand pulled it towards her after a short amount of time.

She was immediately intrigued by the envelope; it's more-than-uninviting crimson color and the words "Private, Confidential" stamped across it simply growled of its own mystery. As 471 picked it up, she felt that it wasn't heavy at all. As a matter of fact, it was almost empty.  
She opened the folder slowly and cautiously, as though she knew it concealed a type of bomb that could go off at any second. Inside, she found no papers or other documents of any sort…only a single black floppy-disk in the folder's crease.

Handling it even more carefully than the folder before, she lifted it out of its crease and held it up between two fingers.  
Immediately, the intensity of the mystery grew. This disk, unlike the others, was not so extensively and fully labeled on its white-paper section that Jumba had run out of room writing it. It was not scratched on the plastic that suggested that it had been put into use too many times to count. On the contrary, it looked quite new.

On its label, only three numbers indicated to what information or data it held: "541".

471 immediately assumed it was an Experiment's number. The second thought to her brain was: are there even 541 Experiments?  
She knew that there were definitely more than 500, but she wasn't sure how many. It was impossible to personally know all of them, so there was almost no manual way of keeping track; she would've been surprised if Jumba didn't have all of their information and numbers saved on a computer. Nobody could memorize all of them.

…Then again, Jumba considered them his children, so maybe his fatherly-love provided him with that type of memory…  
But that didn't really matter at the moment; she was more interested about the information on the disk she held. Was it labeled with the number of one of Jumba's Experiments? She could ask around, and see if there was an Experiment 541 out there, roaming the hallways like all the others?

She and her prodigious mind decided there was not time for that either; she wanted to know right now.  
There was a computer sitting on the edge of the desk she was sitting on. It was one of Jumba's personals. 471 slid herself over to it and clicked on the screen, and found out that the computer was already loaded; it was just in a 'sleep' mode. Delicately, she slid the disk into the slot, and immediately a grey-colored bar appeared on the screen, reading;

"_Loading…please wait_."

As it did this, 471 felt a certain uneasiness in her chest and gut. She just realized that she was snooping in on Jumba's private work…stuff that was potentially important, and was marked so for a reason. Worse, Jumba had always trusted her with his files, documents, and folders, believing that she understood enough that this work was important to him, and much of it was for her not to invade.  
The worst feeling in the world would have been Jumba being disappointed about her, and rethinking her reliability as a companion. 471's expression turned to a frown…and she immediately decided that if there was even the slightest hint of anything seriously confidential, she would abandon her looking and put the disk and folder back right where she found.

As she came to her decision, the disk had finished loading ("_Load complete!_"), and another bar flashed up on the computer's screen…one that was definitely 'seriously confidential': in a text-box that was as dangerously red as the folder that had held the disk, were the words:

"_WARNING!__ YOU ARE ABOUT TO VIEW FILES THAT ARE STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL – PLEASE TYPE IN THE PASSWORD_"

A smaller, white text box appeared below the ominous red one, with a tiny cursor blinking at the left end.

Instinct told her to stop immediately, to press the 'cancel' button and return the disk to its original place. This was definitely something she should not be looking into…this was a boundary Jumba hadn't wanted even her to cross, and it was obviously for a reason, if it required a password.

…But…

Something…for some reason…it nagged at her relentlessly, even as she sat there, with the intimidating cursor flashing in front of her like a bullying piñata.  
Perhaps it was something to do with the fact that in Jumba's care and personal pampering, she had never become used to any special rules…they had never really been set for her. 

A war of shoulder-angels and shoulder-devils waged on top of her for a time…the victory was that of neither; she would press on ahead, but if her eyes caught hold of anything (else) that was remotely private-looking, she'd turn back and put everything back the way she'd found it…this seemed just a bit unrighteous to her, but it was nothing to cross her curiosity.

471 looked back up at the computer. The need to put in the password was still there, but she knew a pretty-sure way around it…a trick she had learned from one of the nicer (and definitely one of the handier) Experiments that literally 'confused' computers and software-systems long enough to find a 'loophole' to slip through, passed the security.  
She did this now; she entered a password that the Experiment had told her took universally longer to check, identify, and register, even though it wasn't even a real combination.

471 typed in the magic letters, numbers, and symbols, and pressed the 'okay' button.

The computer, so advanced and speedy that it could sort through and detect any other false password instantaneously, actually halted…and yet another grey text-box appeared, reading simply; "_Please wait_…"  
471 took this time, as her friend had instructed her, to pull up the manual-instruction box: _cntrl, alt, dl - cntrl, alt, dlt - cntrl, alt, dlt_…

It happened: up popped the manual-control. Quickly, she feverishly moved her hands over the keyboard at amazing speed; it was necessary to be quick if you planned to outsmart a near-supercomputer.  
It took several minutes, at which every second she feared that Jumba was going to re-enter the room. Constant motion had to be kept; every time the computer went to confirm a new input she had given, she had to rapidly enter a new code – just wait for it, wait for it, wait for it…

Suddenly, it happened: the computer became confused long enough to allow a three-second window…and she dove through it with a mouse click and the 'enter' button.  
She had done it!

"_Access confirmed! Opening information on disk_…"

471 felt a certain sort of self-pride rise up in her; it was the first time she had accomplished this task of hacking by herself…even if it was to break a rule and enter Jumba's privacy…  
It took barely seconds for the data to be read and organized…the displayed results were just as ominous as she could have expected.

As red as any horror movie, a title page displaying the same heading as the disk, '_Experiment #541_', appeared dominantly above a long series of discreet text and file numbers.

471 leaned in close, and as she did, as if it were a picture show, the screen changed images. Next, situated in front of a completely black background, several neon-green skeletal-designs of Experiment-type stature were displayed vertically, horizontally, and from many different angles.  
The title above the pictures, as before, read '_Experiment #541_'. She clicked on to the next picture, which displayed not only the design of the skeleton, but also a true-color animated layout of an Experiment's muscular structure.  
Small lines of indication pointing at certain parts of the body (skeletal and muscular) were placed away from underlined, plainly-described descriptions.

By now, 471 was fascinated. Was this the outline for one a new, enhanced Experiment? She checked several of the text-boxed descriptions…and found that all of them were type in a type of pidgin Turian that she could not read.  
Several of the letters and characters she recognized, but the italics and letter-mods made the alphabet as unfamiliar as Greek.

A few of the words were identifiable: 'strength', 'muscle', 'agility', and other themed words of the sort. 471 wondered if the text-boxes pointed out specialties of the Experiment's physical abilities.  
Several other Experiments she knew were amazingly strong, fast, or athletically-gifted in some way…what was this Experiment's ability.

She clicked on: a front-view, profile-view, and angled-view of the Experiment, with the computerized muscle over the green, animated bones, this time with a computer-made system of lines that outlined where the flesh would be. 471 recognized large, oval-like ears, a large nose, and huge eyes, like inflated almonds.  
It was the basic Experiment-structure…so what was special about this new addition?  
More text-boxes that pointed towards the eyes, nose, ears, and mouth indicated words that suggested superior vision, hearing, etc…but she still couldn't understand or translate the half of it.

She clicked again…

The next slide was gripping: an amazingly colorful illustration depicting, in a dramatic pose, what could only have been the Experiment suggested by the previous images.  
…Something about this vividly-colored, anime-style portrait infatuated 471. She leaned in for a better look.  
Whoever the artist had been must've had nothing less than a monster in mind when he illustrated this picture. 471 had known many Experiments who were often subject to angry behavior, even naturally ill-tempered. But none could have ever matched the picture in front of her in the computer screen. The picture no longer resembled the Experiments that Jumba made, to develop their own personality, for better or for worse, and still loved them.

The creature in the picture was beastly; claws longer and sharper than she had ever seen, and protruding from its back were spines like sharp iron tongs. Four awfully-muscular arms held gigantic firearms, each of them smoking, with the smoke drifting up into the monster's face, over a large, snarling mouth from which protruded teeth so sharp and mismatched, they could have only been Hell's creation.  
The creature had no pupils in his eyes. Only white, that meant the blind rage in any creature.

"…_Good God, Jumba_", 471 thought towards her creator/father.  
"_What are you doing?_"

She wasn't sure if she wanted to click on to the next screen…but the ambition and curiosity that gave her the ambition to break the rules in the first place now gave her need to see what was next…she clicked on.

The slide she saw now was…surprisingly different in comparison to the previous one.  
It was the actual Experiment, from the computer-generated designs and from the graphic illustration, this time in actual pictures…two, to be exact.  
The Experiment, tinted by grey, was shown as if he were a prisoner: a close-up of his head in profile and front-view.

471 looked closely at the Experiment, even more intently than she had at the horrific picture. What she saw was nothing at all like the monster the illustration had depicted…the dark, plain face showed no sign of hate or cruelty. The Experiment's eyes were shiny but seemingly suppressed…he looked very neutral, but only towards the camera that had taken his picture.  
…The picture from before resembled the Experiment she saw now…but it didn't look like him, at all…perhaps the picture drawn by the artist before was simply an impression of him…or something of the sort.

471 looked into Experiment's motionless, camera-captured eyes…they were not hateful, nor filled with rage, or any other sign of hostility that the picture had suggested; they were tired, and exhausted…but not weary. More like a durable long-distance runner that had spent half of his energy after a triathlon…the Experiment had been intentionally exhausted before his picture had been taken. She didn't know how she knew that…but she did.

The photos intrigued her greatly, to no low heights…but there was another button on the screen to click on. She did.

The next page puzzled her the most. With the title that she could make out as 'Experiment Number 541', there was a very long and lengthy page of the strange, pidgin language; a series of reports, it seemed. 471 scanned through the dozens and dozens of sentences and paragraph, catching and deciphering a word or two here and there…'Experiment', 'demand', 'corporation', and several more of the same.  
What is this all about, she thought. Mysterious outlines and pictures of an Experiment, supposedly number 541? 471 put her hand to her mouth thoughtfully, even though there wasn't much for her to figure out. What was Jumba doing? What the Hell was Jumba doing?

…Her eyes fell upon five words that seemed to stand out from the others. As said before, she could barely read the modified Turian, but the five words she saw now stood out in particular…like coming across Chinese symbols in an English textbook.  
She could read the letters and piece them together, but had no idea what they meant; these five phantom words that seemed to glow with a feeling of omnity, like the red folder and the titles of the pages on the computer.

'_Zimbel'_, '_Kalma'_, '_Chatturgha'_, '_Turok'_, and '_Kane'_.

She could find no sense in these words, placed next to eachother in order purposely. She had no idea what they could mean…but somehow, they seemed like names to her…  
She saw then, as she scrolled down to the bottom of the page, and soon noticed that there was one more page to click on to. She moved the cursor over the button and clicked.

This last page was almost empty. But against a dark background, as with the other pages, with letters in a grayish-white color, there stood the words, completely readable to her;

'_CODE: 1=PYSIJ1I7, 2=Q1877KLB_'

"_A code?_", she thought to herself.  
"_To what?_"

She didn't know to what…the only code consoles she knew of were on the faraway exits to the lab and in the kitchen; to make sure that no Experiments ever left the lab unsupervised, and to make sure that nobody was sneaking tomorrow night's desserts from the fridge. The purpose of these security precautions were understandable…but to stick the need of a security pass code onto something already so dark and gothic stretched it right into the means of being something dangerous…a foreign prospect in Jumba's lab, which he strived to make the safest place in the universe for his Experiments.

But who was 541? Why hadn't she ever seen him before? Why were his outlines and only pictures stored on a protected disk? What did the five mysterious names mean? What was this new double-code for?  
All of her questions could not be answered by the limited information she knew. But she wanted to know…she decided that she would ask Jumba.

"_No! I can't do that!_", she realized an instant later.

She had gone through Jumba's top-secret personals, and even infiltrated through a password that was designed to keep others (including her) out…it would sound much more than strange if she suddenly began questioning him about the mystery-Experiment on the computer.  
No, she couldn't let him know what she had done…as much for the sake of his trust as for the sake of her own hide.

She tore off a piece of a near-empty memo-sheet and copied the numbers and letters of the code with a pen…just the, she heard the hissing-slide of the door being opened; Jumba was back.  
  
In a white lab coat, he stepped towards her slowly, immediately wary at what she was doing in front of the computer.

"…471?", he said curiously.  
"Vhat are you doing?"

471 turned around on the swivel chair and faced him innocently.

"Just checking out a website", she replied to him.

He nodded, unsatisfied, and stepped closer. He leaned over her shoulder and took a look at the screen.  
A bluely-lit, silver-lined screen advertised the latest style of boots and shoes ("At a price so low, even trogs must lean backwards to get under it!").  
He glanced at her with an expression of suspicion.

"You do not even vear shoes…"

"I know", she replied.  
"But that doesn't mean that I can't keep up with trends, does it?"

Jumba sighed…perhaps in both exasperation and relief.

"No, no, it does not", he said.  
"But…take your plate to zhe garbage, aright? Lunch iz over."

She nodded obediently and hopped off the chair. Grabbing the tray of long-cold food, she landed softly on the floor; Jumba had clicked off of the website and was now going through the many scattered folders on the desk. She quickened her steps towards the door. As she got there and opened it, she heard the rustling of the folders stop; Jumba's breathing seemed to stop as well.

"471?"

She turned, and did her best to hide a look of anxiety.  
Jumba was looking at earnestly. Not angrily, but in a way of great concern…this time, however, it was the strongest she had ever gotten.  
Also, he was holding on to the edge of the dark-red folder, where she had hurriedly managed to stick the disk back into.

"471", he said again in uneasiness.  
"You didn't…didn't by any chance take a look…I mean…look into…you didn't…did you…"

He stopped himself. She knew what he wanted to ask her…but he didn't want to open the subject, unless he was sure that she already knew something.  
He wasn't sure, and therefore didn't want to say anything…giving 471 another reason to remain suspicious about the mystery.

"What is it, Jumba?"

Jumba finally stopped trying to say what he couldn't, and finished with an exasperated sigh and a look of exhaustion.

"Just…stay out of trouble, vould you?", he asked in a small plead.  
"Stay out of trouble, because your life iz important to me."

She smiled genuinely at him.

"I love you, too, Jumba."

"Yes", he said, with a somewhat-sarcastic nod.  
"I love you very much, too. Now get out my hair."

"You don't have any hair."

"Out."

She did as she was told and hurried out the door. As she closed it, she could hear Jumba doing some more rustling among the folders. She wondered if he was going through the red one she had seen.  
471 walked down the plain, silver hall and deposited her unfinished food in a metal waste-drum. Several more halls away, she could hear the sounds of commotion and laughter of the other Experiments as they left the mess-hall. She'd soon meet them as they came her way, in destination of the dormitories, the library, the gym, the arcades, the pool, and all the many other places of recreation that Jumba had provided them with.

She would, however, not spend the rest of the day lounging about like the rest of them…at least not in the usual states of fun or boredom. 471 unclenched her fist, and unwrinkled the small slip of paper that the two codes had been written on. She read them clearly, and resolved herself to find the place to input the codes. She had little doubt that the place to do so was inside the lab somewhere…and she had to find it.  
She didn't know why she had to…but it seemed necessary: there was an Experiment to find, and a mystery to solve.

She almost felt like a detective.

* * *

(A/N: I hope that was enjoyable. I originally intended to have this chapter and the next be one whole one, but that was kinda inconvenient for two reasons. First of all, it would've been so long, it might've interrupted the flow of the story. Secondly, I didn't want to keep y'all waiting for that long…  
In this chapter, I'd like to point out that Reihana is obviously less mature than she is in the future. This is probably because she has not been exposed to much hardship, and is very favored and somewhat pampered by Jumba. Expect her to gain some experience in life in the next chapter…  
On another note, I'd like to stress that I didn't think that this chapter was as good as I could've made it. I would've preferred to give much more insight into the information on the disk, but my mind was a-blank at the time I wrote…sorry.  
  
Okay…my reply to my reviewers!  
  
piewolvesandsuch – thanks a lot for your compliments. I'm beginning to feel much more at ease with the last chapter…  
  
WolfAmArOrq – don't worry; the future may still hold hope…  
  
raVen – how can the Experiments walk around? Well…I never really thought of that, but I'm considering that in a wide, wide universe, and among countless numbers of different alien species, it would be more than easy to blend in, if they weren't obvious. You understand?  
  
BlueFox – thanks a lot. I love you, too!  
  
That's it for now. Hang on for a while until I get the next chapter up, ASAP, okay?  
See ya!)


	19. The Other Laboratory

(A/N: this chapter is the continuation of the last chapter – the second part of Reihana's flashback)

* * *

Love and Burden  
by The Great Red Dragon

* * *

Chapter 19

* * *

It was late at night; all the Experiments were now in their dorms. Most of them were fast asleep, with a few night-owls still reading or watching television. The security cameras had been activated to make sure that nobody went wandering around at night (this wasn't, of course, under just plain and untrusting suspicion; several of the Experiments were known for sleep-walking). All halls were now dark and shadowy, with mere corner-lights to illuminate them. Jumba Jookiba snored and turned over in his sleep.

471 was easily as tired as all of the rest. She had spent nearly the entirety of the day and most of the night searching for the place that she could input the two codes she held in her hand, written on a piece of paper.  
Aside from finding several other consoles that she didn't know existed (but didn't respond to the code), there was no progress. She had gotten to know the lab a lot more than she ever had before…she had even discovered what she believed were a few secret passageways. But seeing as all of these led to either the kitchen or a locked closet, they didn't help her much.   
And after many hours of searching around, she couldn't honestly say that her morale was still completely intact.

The only advantage she gained at night was that there were no others roaming the halls. She was longer stopped, pursued, or questioned by some nosy Experiment; now there were only the security cameras to worry about, which could easily be avoided by a bit of wall-climbing.  
But even the slight thrill achieved by espionage had worn off some time ago, and now she was simply tired. She had been wandering around now for longer than she had wanted to, and fatigue was upon her.

She leaned heavily against the wall ("_I'm so tired_…") and dared for a moment to close her eyes; risking that she fall asleep right there ("_So, so tired_…").  
As she did so, there was an audible 'beep'. Only then did she realized that whatever she was leaning against wasn't smooth and cold, like the walls should be… 

"_Please input access code_."

471 looked up as the computerized voice said this. It was darker than her eyes had been able to keep up with, but an electric-blue light lit up from a small view-screen in front of her.

A code-input console next to a door!

…The excitement seemed to fade for a moment; surely it had be one that she had already been to before.  
But then, as she began to look around herself (and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness), she realized that she wasn't in a place that she recognized. Her eyes traced around, in search of a feature even vainly familiar…but there was none to be seen. In response, she couldn't help but feel the bit of panic that rose up in her at the prospect of being lost alone in the dark; what if she was never found again, and starved to death in the maze of these long, metal corridors?  
Luckily, she managed to get a hold of her panic before it overwhelmed her – if she could find her way into the place while she was half asleep, she'd surely make it with all her wits about her…besides, she was confident that if she managed to get herself filmed on a security camera, there'd be somebody there to get her ASAP.

She turned around to go back…but then stopped short.  
471 turned around to face the input-terminal next to the door – wasn't this the reason she had spent twelve hours looking around in the first place? Now that she found it, wouldn't it be a good time to check it out?

With a renewed feeling of liveliness and vitality, she focused intently on the input-console, straining her eyes as they still adjusted.

"_Please input access code_."

The buttons on the pad below the screen also glowed blue with light; entrancing. Slowly and cautiously, as if she felt a hidden camera was watching her (one she hadn't spotted yet), she reached out her hand, and with the index finger on her right hand, typed in the letters and numbers she saw on the paper in her other hand, it too illuminated by the light.

…_'PYSIJ1I7'_.

There was a short pause…

"_Please input the second access-code_."

The screen went blank of the first set she had put in.

As cautiously as before, she typed in the second combination.

…_'Q1877KLB'_.

"…_Access confirmed! Code recognized. Door opening_."

"_Yes!_", 471 cheered to herself, jumping a few inches into the air with joy.

The usual and often-heard hiss of the door opening was heard…but this time, it sounded more special than any other time before.  
The door opened, and at once, 471 covered her eyes quickly as fresh light hit her eyes. The panic rose within her again ("_It's just light, it's just light_…"), but she pulled herself together enough to quell it.  
When she finally let down her hands from her face, she looked on with squinting eyes…and found herself looking into what appeared to be another row of shiny, metal corridor.

Like a curious feline, she slowly edged towards the doorway and poked her head inside. Looking in both directions, she found them as long, barren, and empty as the ones that led to the baths (not very many of the Experiments enjoyed bathing). Where was this? How could she have never been here before?  
Daring another step, she placed a single toe into the next hallway, almost expecting for a monster to rise out of the floor and bite it off. When nothing happened, she dared to plant her whole foot in the room. It all looked safe, so she decided to start with the other foot.  
Inch by inch, centimeter by centimeter, she moved into the room at the rate of a caterpillar; with each move, she expected a dramatic reaction for the worse…but even when her whole body stood in the hallway, there was still nothing bad happening to her.

She decided a free step further into the hall wouldn't hurt…but as she increased the distance between her and the doorway, the door behind her slid shut horizontally with a hissing thud.  
She whirled around fast; _she was trapped. The door had been closed on her, there was no way out, she was gonna die_-

A moment before a nervous breakdown set in, she caught herself and quickly tried to rationalize. The door had closed automatically because she had moved too far away from it. She checked the code-input console on this side of the hall, and found to her reassurance that it had not been locked. Everything was stable again.

Now, in her current position, her eyes caught hold of something that they couldn't have before: above the doorway was a large, glowing diagram of several straight, slanted lines that seemed to interconnect with many colored dots with labels at their sides.

It was a map.

The lettering was large enough to see, and written in plain Turian. Most of the described circles were all group in a cluster at the eastern corner of the map. At the very end of a spiraling, zigzagging collection of corridor in the mid-to-western section, there was a single dot. 471 read the label next to it.

"_Hangar_".

She wasn't sure if she had ever seen the hangar before…thought she might have…but wouldn't it have been at some other end in the other set of hallways?  
At the eastern side, the labels in the cluster read names like "_gymnasium_", "_data storage/collection", _"_target gallery_", "_large-weapons storage_", and "_Experiment holding-cell_".  
Between the east-side clusters and the west-side hangar, there were only two labeled dots: "_food storage_" and "_exit to primary Experiment-laboratory_".  
She was standing right by the second-mentioned dot (she knew this because it was labeled "_You are HERE_"); the door that separated this lab with the one that she knew. The dot labeled "_food storage_" was not too far away from her.

As she stood there, very much in awe, someone in her mind asked her why she didn't go check some of the places.  
Well, 471 saw no real objection to this…as long as she remembered the place where she had entered (which would also need to serve as her way to exit).

She turned to her right and began a walk down the corridors, in the direction of the "_food storage_".

* * *

Not much was to be said about the journey, except that it was longer and more tedious than 471 had expected. The path was pretty much straight forward, but it gave her the feeling that she was running into an endless mirror; how long just was this place?  
Anxiety started to build on her after the first five minutes. She looked back behind herself, and found the hallway to be a barren as that what stretched in front of her. And with no other doors, security camera, or guiding maps in sight, a feeling of slight dread rose within her.  
But she figured that her destination couldn't be too far away now. She moved on, quickening her pace as she did so. 

Her efforts were finally rewarded. With a rush of joy, she spotted the soft light of a console, the kind that belonged to a door, a distance away from her. She ran over as fast as she could, and stood in front of the door as it towered above her. The label on it read "_food storage_".  
The console next to it was different than the ones she was used to – it was a single, round button that glowed with the blue light. No viewing screen or input-pad…and it was a lot higher on the wall than she was used to. Obviously, it had been constructed without the idea of mainly Experiments using it.

Not about to abandon her curiosity, she pressed the large button with her thumb, and the door hissed open.  
The change was quite dramatic; from the well-lit hallway, she entered a dark and shadowy room.  
Skeleton-like metal shelves lined throughout the tiny, dingy little room like bone-work. Hardly a room of 15x15 feet, there was barely any space between the aisles to walk – Jumba wouldn't be able to fit into the room at all.

She walked in and examined, by the protruding light of the hallway, the lowest shelf of the cabinet in front of her. It, as well as the other shelves of very other cabinet, was stacked with several boxes of a substance wrapped in plastic. It seemed to be done professionally, but was stamped with a writing that looked like had been hand-written and then Xeroxed. It was the same pidgin Turian that had been typed in the contents of the red disk.  
She lifted one of these out of the cardboard half-box and held it in her hands. She pressed against the plastic wrapping, and found it to be horribly slimy and gooey…she held it into the light coming from the hallway, and found it to be a nasty, dark-brown/greenish color…the color of a spoiled pot roast.

She set it back with a look of disgust and searched if any of the boxes contained anything besides the nasty, plastic-wrapped sludge…indeed; there was something else. A few of the boxes were packed with small, palm-sized white bottles. She picked one of them out. Plastic.  
The label read quite clearly: "_vitamin drink_".

"_What the heck is all of this, Jumba?_"

She set the bottle back among the many others and took another search around the room…there was nothing else.  
Not wanting for the door to automatically close on her in this dark place, she quickly hurried out of the room and back into the hallway. As she stepped out of the doorway, it closed behind her with a hiss.

471 now noticed something that she hadn't before – it was another one of the glowing map-diagrams. This one, however, was much smaller than the last one, and hang directly opposite of the doorway she had just exited.

"_You are HERE_", proclaimed a red dot, next to the label of the room "_food storage_".

471 noticed that she was now considerably closer to the cluster of circles at the each end…she had cleared more than half the distance between the cluster and the entrance to the other lab. Her morale increased with a smile, and without much hesitation she hurried back on her way towards the east end.

* * *

It took less time to reach the next door; it was already a shorter distance, but now she was moving at a faster jog.

The door, unlike the last, stood not in the side of the wall; it marked the end of the seemingly endless corridor.  
471 finally came to stand in front of it. It loomed over her like a monster guarding something important…like the dog Cerebrus, from the story Jumba had once read her. Like the other door, it had but one button on the console…no; this one was different. It included another button and a slot for a keycard; she knew it was a locking-mechanism. Thankfully, it wasn't activated.

Overcoming the fear that the door would open up to reveal a gigantic set of teeth, 471 pressed the button and the door opened ravishly…

_ZHOOM!_

It was dark, at first. Then, automatically, a lined row of lights at the ceiling illuminated a short, narrow hallway that led to another a door, identical to the first. This hallway wasn't nearly as the one behind her – barely one-third of its width, to be exact. Could Jumba even fit in such a cramped corridor?  
Beyond the floor and ceiling, she could see the control-console, with the specific light that indicated that it wasn't locked. Fighting the oncoming fear and paranoia of entering and being trapped inside of such a small place, she stepped inside slowly…and then immediately ran as fast as she could to the other side. She hit the door and held herself close to it for several seconds before easing loose slowly stepping back.

After so much behind her, and yet another door ahead, her nervousness was at its peak…was this the door that all the secrets were hidden behind?   
The secrets about the information on the disk, the mysterious Experiment, and the strange names?   
She was sure that she had arrived at the cluster displayed on the map…was this the storehouse of the information she was after?

…_There was only one way to find out_…  
She reached up, and pressed the button that opened the door.

_ZHOOM!_

She peered inside…and once again, faced darkness.  
Without hesitation, lest her courage give way, 471 breathed in steadily and stepped inside. The door shut behind her with a hiss.  
For the first minute, all that was heard was the audible pounding of her heart, and her anxious breathing through her mouth.  
In the darkness, the tints and angles of shadows revealed shapes to her…they were unidentifiable, but it looked strangely like…  
Carefully, she began to fumble around the walls next to the door for a light-switch. Her anxiety rose when she couldn't find one immediately, but finally her clawed hands caught hold of a small, circular button, unlike the one on the door's console. She pushed it.

The lights came on with separate clicks, and flickered eerily for several moments before the achieved their potency. Finally, 471 could look around her environment.  
It was another office, much like Jumba's…seemingly.  
It was large and circular and metal-colored; larger than Jumba's. A desk protruded from the wall and circled all the way around the room, stopping a few feet from the door. At the front of the room, opposite of the door, was a large glass pane – 471 thought for a moment that it was a viewing screen, but quickly realized that it was a window. Between two separate panes of the glass that made the window, criss-crossed 'chicken-wire' was stretched across the view; was this bullet-proof glass?

The surface of the rounding desk was cluttered with papers, folder, and several computers; it instantaneously reminded 471 of Jumba's own desk. The desk space underneath the window, however, was cleared free of cluttering – it housed what appeared to be a large control panel, or buttons, knobs, keyboards, and tiny viewing-screens. She wondered intently what it was for…she hurried over and jumped on top of the desk, and peered with squinted eyes through the glass, into a dark, gigantic room. She glanced down at the consoles, and found a red button that read beneath a label; "_gym lights_".

She pressed it, and with the same effect that it had with the room she was, the lights flickered on to reveal a humongous, hexagonal-shaped gymnasium with a ceiling about a hundred feet off of the ground. 

471 sat in awe – the size of this place nearly rivaled the size of the cafeteria! Lockers line about a third of the walls, and several doors were set into the walls.  
471 noticed strange yellow taping on the floor of the gym. Creases and what looked like constructed cracks in the metal…she wondered what it was for.  
Looking back at the console, she noticed that other buttons were labeled '_turrets_', '_rail 2_', and '_blocking guards_'.

She pressed one of the buttons carefully, and the effect showed on the floor of the gym. A square-shaped box-crease flipped itself around mechanically, hiding its flat surface, and revealing something that looked like a punching-bag mounted on a floor-post.  
471 pressed another button, and another floor-panel flipped around to reveal a jumping barrier. Another button, and there appeared what seemed to be a miniature race-track!

She couldn't help but smile – this was fun!   
  
She reached down for another button, but stopped short as she did. The label above it read "_gun turrets 6_"…and she wasn't about to go messing around with dangerous things; 471 hopped off the desk, as if her mere sitting there could cause disasters.

* * *

She had just begun wondering how you were to enter the gym when she spotted another door in the room; on the western end of the room, placed snuggly between the outings of the desk. It too, luckily, was unlocked.  
Through the door, she thought for a moment that it was a dead-end; a flat wall faced five feet away from her. Then she realized the staircase next to her. She looked to her right and down – a metal staircase made of grillwork led about thirty feet down into the gymnasium. Once again, she wondered how a person as large as Jumba could possibly fit into such a tight and narrow space…

Pondering didn't stop her from descending downwards. The metal felt surprisingly stable for being so thin…even if she only weighed a small amount. 

At the bottom, she stepped off of the last step, and onto edge of the gym floor. She could well see the obstacles she had activated from the control-pad; they seemed much larger now.  
The room was too large to fully viewed from her current position, she realized…and she began a walk towards the very center of the room (making sure not to step on any of the lined 'boxes' on the floor, in case one of them hid the gun-turrets). The walk took nearly half a minute, and once she had reached the center, 471 only truly realized the gym's full, enormous size; it was nothing short of amazing.

She glanced at the ceiling, nearly one hundred feet over her head. The lights that shone down on her and the rest of the floor seemed so small from up there…

471 turned her attention towards the walls…the gigantic walls.  
Most of the lockers were lined along the two walls angling off of the direct west-end wall. She noticed then that there were also lighted signs above the doorways. Her immediate thoughts were that this made the doors look like entrances to clubs (she giggled at her thought). However, the words on the sign seemed to point away from that inquiry.

Four different signs read; "_Data storage/collection_" (this one hung next to the staircase she had come down), "_Target gallery_", "_Large-weapons storage_", and "_Experiment holding-cell_".  
Her eyes stopped on the last sign she read – it hung above door shouldered by the lockers.

…Was the Experiment in there?  
_Obviously_, if the signs were to be taken into consideration…

She walked slowly towards the door, ducking underneath a jumping-barricade as she did. The trip to the door took as long as the trip to the center of the gym did, but she paused as she neared the lockers next to the door – were they locked?  
There was no lock on any of them, so she curiously put her hand onto the handle of the locker and pulled it open, and peered inside…

_BANG!_

Within a split second of looking inside, she slammed the door shut again and braced herself against it with a look of terror on her face, as if she had seen a monster.  
The locker had been stacked full with rifles and other firearms.

What the Hell were they there for?, were 471's thoughts.  
What kind of an operation was Jumba running? What kind of operation required a hidden laboratory complex, a secret Experiment, and guns?  
_What the Hell was this?_

Instinct screamed at her to go back. If what was behind the lockers scared her this much, she really didn't want to know what lay behind the door…or did she?  
She glanced to her left, at the door that supposedly led to the Experiment…it was unlocked.  
The screaming of common sense was blocked out by a tiny whisper of '_why-don't-you-take-a-look?_'. There were of course, many reasons why she shouldn't…but the '_why-don't-you-take-a-look_' had now double-teamed with her inborn, heavyweight curiosity, and was winning the fight. She cursed her nosiness, as it addicted her to danger, and closer to the door.

"_Damn, damn, damn_…"

She inched slowly away from the lockers, and slowly, slowly made her way to the door. When she finally stood in front of it, her hand was slowly pulled towards the button. Somewhat unwillingly, she pressed it.

_ZHOOM!_

The door hissed open, and 471 (wanting to get it over with) stepped inside.  
  
…There was no Experiment. In its stead, however, 471's face was illuminated by ion-blue light. She blinked but not because of the brightness – the chamber she peered into looked like…like…either a dungeon or Frankenstein's laboratory.  
The floor, walls, and ceiling were made of black, kidney-shaped rubble-stones that seemed very medieval. The room was small…and held two wooden desks. On these stood large, thick vials that held bubbling blue liquid that illuminated the room. A metal monitor flashed green statistic-lines close to a corner.

On the right side of the room there was what seemed like a glass half-circle atop a slightly-raised platform. There was a red light on top of the inner-circle(it looked purple, in addition to the blue light), very much like a warming-light for newly-hatched chicks.  
Next to this was the largest contraption yet…a very large glass tube that looked very much like a test-tube. It stood on a metal podest and several wires and cords extended from its base. The glass was broken…

471 noticed that it looked very much like the incubator-capsules that Jumba's Experiments were conceived in…  
  
She took a step closer, but squeaked in surprise and pain as she stepped on something sharp. She fell back, clutching her foot, and her head tensing with what had happened on top of all the anxiety she already held…  
Tenderly, she reached down, and picked from the inset of her foot a tiny crystal of broken glass.  
She looked back up at the broken incubator-capsule; had it come from there?

Her eyes trailed from the capsule to several feet next to it…there was another door. Unlike the others, there was no console next to it, high or low.  
471 slowly stood up, limping on her hurt foot.  
…After all that had happened, she didn't think that she could make it through another one of the doors.

…But somehow, she felt that this specific door would be the last one.

"…_Why?_", she asked herself.  
"_Because_", her subconscious replied to her.  
"_You know_."

Slowly, she hobbled over to this door, with the bubbly blue light making it appear somewhat symbiotic in complexion. She wondered how she would be able to open the door if there was no console…but as she stood about a foot before it, it hissed open like the others.

This room that she looked in on was the smallest yet…but, then again, it didn't really seem to be a room.  
Entirely white on all sides (it reminded her of a sanitarium), about seven feet stood between the floor and another wall…which also held another door.  
This door, unlike the others, was as white as the walls and indented patternly. Like the last, there was no console next to it – only a tiny, square-shaped window, set in near the top of the door. There was nothing else.

Something ominous about this presence, the walls, the room, and the door, seemed so much graver than all she had faced before. Her mind was no longer screaming and begging her to leave – it was warning her, in a cold voice that seemed to separate body from spirit. 471 knew something sat beyond that tiny window that was generating the ominous-ness, and it definitely wasn't friendly. Invisible, clawed hands seemed to extend from inside the room and pull her closer…an action that seemed sure to seal her death, but she stepped further anyway.

Obedient to the call of the mysterious, she dug her claws against the door and began a slow climb up to the window. Finally, after what seemed longer than necessary, she faced her head straight and peered inside.

More metal walls surrounded a cell so small, it would've made some Experiments claustrophobic. There were no lights visible; the light probably came strongly through the window to illuminate the room.  
…_And there, she saw something_…  
Sitting on an iron bunk that extended out of the wall, was a small, blue…something.

What species was it?

A small body…with proportions equal to other Experiments she had seen. A muscular anatomy was held under blue, aqua-marine fur and large, unsplit ears.  
  
_It was an Experiment!_

…It didn't look female; too thick-bodied. He sat hunched-over on the cot, with his back to her, apparently breathing heavily. Only one set of his arms were out…did he only have one? There were no antennae or spines visible…  
A tiny pool dripped from his forehead onto the metal floor – _pit, pat, pit, pat, pit, pat_…

_Was it blood?  
_No; it was sweat.

Powerful muscles on his back expanded and contracted with each breath. His figure wasn't hulking…but it was definitely powerful.  
471 couldn't see the Experiment's face, no matter how she twisted her head.  
Yet…she was sure that the face of the Experiment would match the face she saw on the computer screen, earlier that day.

She breathed quietly against the glass of the window, and to her surprise, the Experiment raised his head.

"Starting torture early?", he said stiffly, in a dialect that seemed to mirror the strange form of writing from the disk.

471 almost fell from her grip. She felt a need to reply in some way…but something was keeping the words from leaving her throat.  
The Experiment turned halfway around on the edge of cot; half of his was visible to 471. Did the features match the photographs?

"Open the goddamn door and let me at it", he said, to someone he obviously thought wasn't her.

Slowly, 471 swallowed the lump in her throat and said, in a tiny, near-inaudible squeak;

"_Um…hello?_"

The Experiment's ears shot straight up; his face went alert in surprise. He turned his face completely to 471, with more than surprise evident.  
_It was 541!_

"_You-!_", he began to say in a choked voice.  
"_How-…who-_"

_ZHOOM!_

471 spun around and fell from the door as the one behind her whizzed open. Horror-struck, she saw there standing a pale-skinned creature with an ugly, protruding mouth and an elongated head. His tiny, wet eyes showed utter rage.

"_You-!_", he hissed aggressively and hatefully, and 471 let out a scream.

* * *

(A/N: ooh; an actual cliffhanger!  
Don't worry; Reihana can't die – she in the story later, isn't she? And don't worry; everything will be explained eventually.  
…By the way, the creature that came through the door in the last paragraph was Zimbel, from 'Before Perfection'. What's his part in this?...  
Gotta wait…  
  
-to BlueFox, Mimic, Faith, and raVen: thank you so much for your compliments! Always appreciated, and returned with love! Thank you, my friends!  
  
-WolfAmArOq: I re-sent those emails after you asked, last time…did you get them?  
  
-DanMat6288: guess ya got your answer, huh?   
  
I hope to get the next chapter up quickly; it's gonna be a short one.  
Until then, may peace be with you! Stay non-violent, non-violent…_by any means necessary_.  
See ya!)


	20. Revelation Dream

Love and Burden  
by The Great Red Dragon

* * *

Chapter 20

* * *

"_I miss you…but I haven't met you yet  
So special…but it hasn't happened yet  
You are gorgeous…but I haven't met you yet  
I remember…but it hasn't happened yet_"  
  
-I Miss You  
Björk

* * *

Reihana slept soundly in Stitch and Twyla's bedroom, her small body enveloped in a roll of blankets.

They had hurriedly returned to the house from the beach soon after Auron had swum her back to the shore, and rushed her to Jumba for examination. Jumba (although seemingly ready to go into conniptions and kill Auron), thankfully, had found nothing wrong with her, although she had cried some more when he held her in his arms. She had swallowed some water and had encountered slight shock…she was shivering, but that still stemmed from the past event.

Rest was needed, he ordered, and had sat next to her in the bedroom until she finally fallen asleep (he didn't want to give her any sleeping-medicine).  
But her sleep remained restless: she dreamed not of nightmares, but of the others…the Experiments, Jumba, Pleakley, and Lilo and her sister.

Owen, Stitch, Twyla, and Peka would most likely be sitting in the living room, on the couch and in the chairs, worrying about her condition (Auron would probably be on the roof, worrying in his own way). Jumba would be drinking tea (with a shot of something stronger) in the kitchen, and Pleakley would be sitting with him, not knowing what to say. Lilo would…be sitting with the Experiments, between Stitch and Twyla. Nani was…worrying, as usual. Maybe she was calling David, who had carried her (Reihana) back to the car.

_Anxiety…concern…disarray…worry…unhappiness…all because of her.  
_She groaned in her sleep and turned over onto her side, wanting to dream of something else.

Her wish was fulfilled – a new scene was opening up before her…  
She was being dragged down a long, metal hallway by a creature with pale skin and a long, elongated mouth. She was kicking, screaming, and crying, but he seemed to be paying no attention to her racket. Deafly, he pulled her through a door in the side of the corridor and down several more passages, until they reached another door. The creature opened the mechanic panel angrily, and Jumba Jookiba fell out of his bed. He looked up, saw what was happening, and quickly took Reihana from the creature's hands. She was hoping that he'd hold her and comfort her, but instead he shut her into a nearby room and told her stay there and keep quiet.

From there, she listened to him and the creature shout at eachother…pidgin Turian: she couldn't understand a word of it.  
After a while, the shouts turned into barely-audible, threatening whispers.

Then, silence…

Finally, Jumba opened the door to the small room. She cried at the first sight of him, begging for some comfort, but he didn't present it, even though the creature was gone. He gently lifted her onto his arm and carried her over to his office, where he sat her on top of the desk. He then began to rummage through a nearby cabinet, and she sat there, sniffling. Finally, he unearthed a small orange flask that contained red tablets. He dropped several of them into his palm and turned to Reihana. He told her that she must eat them – she must eat all of them right away.

At this, she began crying even more. She had no idea what was going on, what Jumba was trying to feed her, or…  
…She feared the worst: _was Jumba trying to kill her?_

"_No, my child, never_", he assured her, finally taking her into his arms and cuddling her against his chest.  
"_I…I am making you forget_."

Finally, after a while, she nodded, teary-faced, and swallowed the pills all in one gulp; she didn't even need to chew.  
Now, Jumba looked very relieved and happy – he began hugging and kissing her, fatherly, and began telling her that everything was going to be alright now; there was nothing more to worry about.

During this, even though Reihana did her best to hold onto everything that she remembered in her life, she felt a certain part of it beginning to slip away…namely, where she had been that night.  
It had been a secret, hidden place…a gymnasium, a laboratory, and someone…something in a cell.  
Five-forty…_five-forty…she couldn't remember_.  
She eventually became very drowsy and fell asleep.  
  
The next day, she dreamed of a real memory she held: she woke up in Jumba's bed, and he was sleeping next to her. That day, Jumba was all about paying her extra attention, offering her more to eat than she even desired, and buying her expensive things; the other Experiments became more than jealous. 

A few days later, Jumba took her to a private lab of his…_a special-training lab for special Experiments_, he said.   
When he left the room, she met a curious character; Experiment 541.  
He was a bit dark-tempered and negative, but was always there for her to talk to at night, whenever she sneaked out of bed (he was kept in a small cell, and always spoke badly of Jumba).

Strangely, he always seemed to forget her every night…for whenever she'd turn up a following night, he'd greet her with the same look of surprise and distrust of a stray cat…but he always turned around in personality and became talkative and an avid listener. 

…What was with him? Why did he always seem to forget her?  
Well, of course, Jumba was making him forget; slipping him medication to erase her presence from his mind…but why was he continuing to let Reihana see him, if he was dangerous to be kept isolated? Surely Jumba monitored 541's cell…why did he turn blind whenever Reihana turned up?

…And why did 541 seem to remind Reihana of someone she had met before?  
She couldn't remember the person…but why did he remind her so much of 541?  
Reihana decided to forget about this question, in her dream and in life. She turned over once more on the mattress and hid her face in the pillow.  
  
Before she began dreaming of something else and more pleasant, she wondered slightly who was the pale creature that had dragged her to Jumba…and what had become of him…

"_No matter_", she thought.  
"_I'll have forgotten it by the time I wake up_…"  
  
It was true; when she awoke some time later, she had forgotten about everything she had dreamed of.

* * *

(A/N: forgive me: this is a short chapter, but I just wanted to drop another hint for you all to what happened after the last chapter ended.  
If anyone's confused…you'll just have to wait. The next chapter will be on its way soon, as quickly as I can spare my eyes and fingers. Forgive me for the big delays every time – I really should do better.  
  
Thank you to everybody who took the time to compliment me. Mercy and good fortune on all of you! See ya!) 


	21. Sevas Tra

(A/N: finally, a new chapter…as short as it may be…  
Before reading, I'd like to point out that this chapter is rated 'R' for graphic descriptions of mutilation…no bad language, though)

* * *

Love and Burden  
By The Great Red Dragon

* * *

Chapter 21

* * *

When Auron went to sleep that night, he felt guilt…guilt, guilt, and more guilt about what had happened to Reihana. He went into the bathroom and mixed himself several prescription tablets; he wanted to suppress his dreams. He swallowed a cupful of them and went back downstairs and laid down on the mattress in the dark. He tried to close his eyes, but he was feeling a strange type of irritation behind them. He tried to lift his arm to rub them…but all of the sudden, his arm felt like it weighed a million tons. He opened his eyes, but he could only see part of a dark, storming sky above him through the crusting over his sockets. All of the sudden, he was sweating. Rain was falling on him in streams from the billowing thunder clouds overhead, but he was still sweating like a water fountain. He coughed; salty water was gushing out of his throat. And out of his ears. And out of his nose.  
He was drowning…drowning; suffocating in his own sweat. He strained, and choked as he tried to turn himself over – maybe then, the liquid would leave him faster. As he pushed himself as hard as he could, the flow of the sweat increased. He was pouring from every part of his body – he was drowning himself. 

With a last superhuman effort, he managed to roll himself over.  
He fell off of the metal platform he had been laying on, and landed with a splash in a huge puddle of mud; so deep he might've swum in it. He pushed himself up with his arms above the water, and felt the slimy bottom of the mud hole with his palms and fingers. He wasn't sweating or vomiting water anymore, but he was instantly subjected to an intense, biting headache. Thunder crashed overhead and as he instinctively raised his hand to his head out of the chest-deep water as rain continued to patter and pound the muddy ground and dirty water around him, his right hand made contact with his forehead…but there was no fur on his head. Instead, he felt scale-like, leathery skin on his forehead…his forehead, which was blunt and almost fell over his eyes.

His eyes…his eyes…_HIS EYES_…

They were pushed so far back into his head…so far, it didn't seem natural. Through the pounding of his head, he opened his eyes ever so slightly from their sunken place, and saw his arm pass in front of his face…it wasn't his arm.  
The arm in front of his face was thick, muscular, and grey in color…the skin surrounding his wrist was compressed and distorted, as if he had worn a very large bracelet there for many, many years on end.

…A bracelet…or perhaps a _gauntlet?..._

Auron splashed against the water furiously. He slashed the surface of it tearingly, wanting to wash aside the mud and the brown water and find a clear, mirroring surface.  
As if by magic, the dirty brown color of the mud parted vertically, and it revealed a face…that was not his own. Auron's glowing-red eyes traced shiveringly over a ghastly, dark-orange-skinned face; piranha-like, spiked, and with lower fanged mandible the stretched beyond the upper lip in a twisted, evil appearance.

Almost a fourth of his scalp was missing – fetid, dead skin curled cocoon-like over the bordering chips of skull that looked like it had been inflicted in a massive crash of some sort. He could literally see his exposed brain: grey and dead-pink, and dry-looking from gaining staleness in salt-water.  
He tried to raise both hands to his head – he felt a need to touch the mutilation on his head…but as both of his arms passed before his eyes on their way up to his head, he realized…that he didn't have a left forearm.

In horror, he stared first at the grisly reflection in the water, then at the physical being; he had nothing above his left elbow, where splintered bone and torn, burnt skin marked the absence of his whole limb.  
Auron's eyes traced over his reflection again…and found his face even more mutilated than before: another chunk of his head was missing…his right eye was completely carved away, along with all of bone, skin, and tendons that ran along that section of his head.

Auron's mouth opened trembling as he stared horrorstruck and unbelieving at his hideousness. He couldn't as much as raise his one remaining hand towards his face…but as he looked into the water at his reflection, his horrible false-face was changing rapidly…his lower jaw completely disappeared, leaving only the charred, torn remnants of what once was a complete lower jaw.

"_No…no…nooo_…"

Auron didn't want to deal with it…this wasn't him; he didn't want to look at this damned Predatorian body. His mind was stinging not with a headache, but with the stress that accompanied not wanting to know and accept that this was him…

"This can't be, this can't be…"

Then, pain so severe shot across his forehead as if it were being split in half. The mutilation and injuries on his Pred-esque body, which had remained mute until then, suddenly exploded in such pain he had never ever felt before.  
At once, he couldn't hear, move, or reason – only scream into the violent, raging storm.

* * *

He was lying on a table…no; he was strapped to a table: pinned down so tightly he couldn't move his head.  
At once, he realized that he was once again in his own body, and the injuries seemed to be gone.  
He tried to move, but before he did, he heard a voice…coming from beside him.

"_Can you feel it now?_"

It was strange, chilling voice…a metallic, echoing growl, as if several voices were speaking at once. It sounded familiar…  
Auron wanted to turn his head and look. He at least wanted to open his eyes, but they appeared to be pressed shut with a strap. He tried to speak…but his voice seemed to have gone.  
The voice to his side, however, seemed individual: whoever it was seemed to be having a hard time breathing, as the growling, panting voice rasped dryly.  
It was as if somebody else was lying strapped down beside him…

"_I can remember the fire…and sight and the smell of the oil as it burned on the water…and then I drowned…but I can't remember my body decaying_…"

The voice was shaking as it spoke…not with tears or emotion, but with some sort of dysfluency that didn't sound natural.

"_I was born again in a tub…after they dragged me out, and immediately began to put me back together…I was awake, but it felt like I was dying…machines kept me alive, but I so wanted it to end…I was supposed to be dead, but I'm being brought back…they're bringing me back…they're still bringing me back_…"

Auron wanted to speak out – who was bringing him back? Who were they? Who was he?  
But now the voice was steadily rising…

"_I was alive, and they began using me for it…I was lying…hooked up to the machines…I remember the pain…the pain, and the shame, oh, the shame…I can remember liking it…I didn't know any better…lying there, softly praying to God, what can I do, what can I do…but I could hear them coming…bringing me back, as they did so, they used me, used me, used me…I could hear his hooves as he led them to my chamber_…"

The voice's next words rang out in an unearthly, trembling roar that reverberated in Auron's ears like a large bell. When the voice wasn't roaring, it was speaking fast and in rhythm, like a horror movie moderator;

"_TUROK!__ The day of your atonement is due! Well, there's so many victims out there, and they include YOU!  
_"_No, master, don't! No, brother, don't! Please…LEAVE ME ALOOOOOONE!  
__NO, I DON'T WANT TO FEEL THIS! I DON'T WANT TO KNOW! TAKE YOUR RAZOR OUT OF ME! PLEASE TAKE YOUR KNIFE OUT OF ME!_"

The voice was so strong and so terrifying that Auron wanted to run – he had to get away…but he couldn't move; he couldn't move!

"_I WILL NOT CRY! I WILL NOT CRY! I PREFER DIE! I WANT TO DIE! BUT I WILL NOT CRY!_"

Music severe and violent was pounding in Auron's ears as the voice roared its agony…but all of the sudden, it stopped…and the voice became quieter again.

"_Why…why didn't you just kill me?_"

The voice seemed to move – swing around to face Auron, who still couldn't see. It leaned in close, and Auron felt ice-cold breath on his face.

"_Why didn't you just kill me completely? Why did you leave out there? Why not tear me to shreds, and burn my brain? I know you hated me enough_…"

Auron was crying. He was sobbing in anxiety.

"I-I d-didn't mean f-for this t-t-to happen…it w-was s-supposed t-to be over…you were s-s-supposed t-to be at peace; we both were…I d-d-didn't mean for…for…"

The voice cut him off, and it roared again;

"_LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO ME! LOOK WHAT THEY DID TO ME! WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?! WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS TO ME?!"_

And the strap was ripped from his eyes, and he caught only the slightest glimpse of the speaker's face before it faded into the darkness: mutilated, torn, and unreal-looking…still, it looked all-too-familiar; like a nightmare that would never ever leave him.

"_They say to me that my purpose is not yet done…you and I…will tear at eachother again…and this time…much will be different…oh, my friend, you will see in time_…"

And as the face faded slowly into the darkness, and only shadows remained in front of Auron's face, the voice whispered once more in his ear…a warning? A hint of the future? A metaphor of a hint?  
He did not know…but the words chilled him to his bones, and the chill stayed with him even when he awoke again in a puddle of sweat;

"_Resurrection is for those who didn't get it right…the first time_."

* * *

(A/N: okay…any idea who Auron's dreaming about? Perhaps…someone we _used_ to know?  
Maybe…  
Apologetically, I need to asked to be excused for the violence in this chappie…this is perhaps the most violent piece that I've written, and I probably won't write many more chapters like this; if I do, I'll change the rating on the story.  
Still…I hope I didn't disgust anybody. More detail on what the heck all of this craziness means in further chapters…  
  
Thanks to all who took the time to review last time…I really appreciate it. Thank you so much.   
  
Until next time…see ya!) 


	22. The Shark On Wheels, Reunion

(_A/N: hello to everybody who's reading this. I hope I haven't kept y'all waiting_ too _long with this chappie…guilty laugh  
Welcome to the 22nd chapter of_ Love and Burden. _After_ _I have posted this chapter, I will go on official hiatus with this story to concern myself with other fics. No, this is not the ending of this fic, and I will finish it…someday, when I'm completed with my other projects. I hope the length of this chapter somewhat makes up for my long absence, and I further hope that you will enjoy reading this chapter, as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please meet me at the end for another Author's Note. Until then, enjoy_)

* * *

Love and Burden  
by The Great Red Dragon 

Chapter 22

* * *

It was a few days after the incident where Reihana had fallen into the water. For the following days, she had been increasingly quieter than before and had kept as close to Jumba as she could. She barely spoke at all and ate even less, no matter how much the others would urge her – she went on claiming that she wasn't hungry. Her alibi wasn't believable, though; she was undoubtedly getting skinnier, and looking even sicklier than ever. If Jumba didn't occasionally make her eat something of small portion, Aron and Garon suspected that she would disappear into thin air.  
However, she wasn't the only one feeling sad after-effects about what had happened at the beach: Auron had become so repressed and disconnected from everybody else that Nani would come back from work at night and ask if he was still staying with them, or if he had already left. Auron would most likely be on top of the roof with his guitar, but he never seemed to play it. Everybody inside of the house would wonder what amount of sadness could influence his disciplined isolation…but the most obvious explanation was that he was too ashamed to face Reihana. 

Only once during the night did Peka catch him: on her way to the bathroom, she found Auron standing by the telephone. Before she could ask, he explained quietly;  
"I used the phone…sorry."

Peka did her best to try and get Auron to join the family again – Rei was suffering too, she pointed out, and maybe Rei would be more at ease if she noticed Auron recovering from the situation, too.  
But Auron only shook his head and asked how Reihana was, and how the rest of the Ohana was, and if maybe he could eat just a little something from the kitchen; he hadn't eaten in some time.  
Eventually, Auron left for the roof again, even though Peka offered him the couch (Reihana didn't want to sleep alone in the living room, so now she rested on a mattress in Twyla and Stitch's room). She watched him go sadly, and forgot all about using the bathroom.

Only a day after that, Jumba seemingly had enough of Reihana's sadness, and he called Nani to him for backup. Together, they gathered all of the Experiments into the living room, including Auron and Aron and Garon, and more or less ordered that all of them would spend a day outside on the coming weekend. They would take Lilo and the red pulley-wagon for Twyla and find some way to amuse themselves for the majority of the day. The reason, they claimed, was because everybody in the house was becoming far too mellow, and the place was starting to feel like a mortuary…besides, Nani claimed that she had some serious house-cleaning to get done and would enjoy a little privacy.  
The Experiments agreed peacefully, some of them even happily. Auron and Rei agreed without a struggle, looking very neutral about the plan.  
What Nani and Jumba didn't say, of course, was the obvious: they wanted Reihana and Auron's mood to improve; it was true that they were by now starting to affect the rest of the household with their unhappiness (for the first time in anybody's memory, Pleakley came into the kitchen wearing a plain black dress; he said he was feeling very down about himself).

So the day eventually came, and after breakfast, all of the Experiments (and Lilo) exited the house and gathered in the driveway. Stitch pulled forth the wagon, lined and mattressed with pillows, and helped Twyla climb and settle herself into it.  
They all began on their way, with Aron and Garon leading the way, often being called back by their mother. They marched clear through town, knowing only their orders that didn't allow them to show their face back at the house until the afternoon.  
They would've kept on going for a long time, if the twins had not pointed out a local (and, thankfully, empty) playground, and had immediately begged to go on it.  
Agreeing, they settled themselves into the place, and Aron and Garon began jumping and climbing all over thick, wooden play-structures and swings and teeter-totters. The rest of the group watched them play…and then…they actually started to have fun, too.  
Auron got involved when Garon pulled on his arm and asked him to play with them, and Owen followed shortly (feeling left out). Lilo asked Stitch if they could play, too, and he turned to Twyla. She gave him a nod, and his child-like side emerged with a whoop of joy as he began jumping around with the others, Lilo right behind him.

Peka, Twyla, and Reihana sat near the edge of the perimeter, watching the fun and gossiping while they were at it. Twyla and Peka talked non-stop between the three of them, often asking Reihana a question or her opinion, which she'd then reply to shortly and quietly. It seemed strange to her…it felt as if her sadness wanted to stay intact, but the will to just be happy again was overpowering.  
As she finally began to succumb to the fun of the moment, she too realized that the day really was turning out to be a nice one.

* * *

While the Experiments and Lilo were out enjoying themselves across town, a soft, dull roar sounded as a jet-black motorcycle, decorated with several stickers, rolled its way up the hill towards the Pelekai household. The rider passed the shack-house that stood only a few hundred feet from the house's perimeter, and he wondered if someone lived there.  
He pulled soundly to a stop in front of the stairs that led up to the front door and set down both feet to balance his bike. He flicked up the smoked visor of his black helmet and peered up to the house from behind clear biker-goggles, admiring the house's exotic structure; the observatory that stood atop the roof was amazing.  
The rider de-egnitioned his bike and tripped down the kickstand; the motorcycle's growling died peacefully. The rider stepped off of his vehicle and pulled the helmet and goggles off of his head: Riley Kivanna set these onto the seat of his _Triumph_ model motorcycle and looked back up at the house.  
He had relied heavily on random bits of information obtained through phone calls with Auron to find this place - the house, at its exact location. Unbeknownst to his Auron, ever since he (Auron) had told him that he was staying put for a while in house full of other aliens, Riley had kept a pencil and a pad of paper at hand whenever the phone rang, and had gathered together all the information he could that Auron has absentmindedly mentioned during their few conversations (which island he was on, the name of the town, etc.). Riley did this consistently; whenever he could. Although Riley had often told himself that it was simply for his own reassurance that he knew where Auron was, he had always had the desire - the desire that eventually caused him to abandon his house, jump on his new motorcycle, and make a journey that lasted overnight. Quite simply, it was the ever-growing desire to finally see his friend again. 

He didn't call it reckless at all…after all, he had hired a likeable sitter for his young sister Rebecca, and with Lara being occupied with a new part-time job, he saw no reason to leave the scene in Mana for a while to go see someone he hadn't seen in six months.  
Of course, there had been some shrewdness involved: he had told Rebecca and Lara that he was investigating a new pair of panniers for his motorcycle that he had seen in an ad on _eBay_. But now, as he stood in front of what he was sure was his destination, any and all guilty feelings were brushed aside in the near-assurance that he'd be seeing be seeing Auron again.  
Of course, there would be confusion and embarrassment if he were to knock on the door and it were to simply be the home of a perfectly normal Hawaiian family, who'd slam the door in his face or phone the sanitarium if he began talking about blue aliens and of the sort.

Riley stepped onto the first step of the ladder-porch and silently reviewed his facts of Auron's whereabouts: on the island of Kauai, by the beach, close to Haena, house number so-and-so…  
He looked up as he climbed higher; even the house's address-number was correct. This had to be the place! Carefully, he made his way up the last steps in front of him, and stood on the long, narrow porch that went from one end of the house to the other. He noticed that next to the front door, there stood some plastic toys and a tricycle, tossed about.

"…_Well, Auron had mentioned some little ones…little alien-children_…"

He found the thought to be somewhat funny; he imagined a smaller Auron in diapers, waving a rattle.  
In his amused moment, he reached out and rang the doorbell. A second later, he wished he hadn't – why so suddenly?  
Somewhere upstairs he heard somebody moving about…only now did he notice the sound of a vacuum cleaner at work. Had he come at a bad time? – during house-cleaning?  
Maybe he should go back…he was starting to feel nervous about the situation. Maybe Auron wasn't even there.  
Now, the vacuum cleaner had stopped…Riley heard footsteps coming towards the front door.  
…He realized that trying to run away now would be childish. He decided to stay and try work things out, even if Auron wasn't here, and his entire trip would've been for nothing; he'd work it out with the people and try to get away without any complaint charges being brought against him (he smiled to himself again).  
The footsteps came closer and became louder. Riley quickly brushed loose strands of his long, brown hair out of his face; after only one night without a shower, he was hoping that he wasn't looking too scruffy. The footsteps finally came as close as they could, and Riley heard the click as the lock was turned from inside. The door was pulled open, and Riley found himself looking at a very attractive, young Hawaiian woman.

She was only a small bit shorter than himself, and her skin was considerably darker than his own. She had typical Hawaiian characteristics about her – a large nose, dark hair…  
She was very beautiful, even without make-up…but she held a certain roughness about her that suggested a couple of thorns hidden inside a jar of honey. These thorns were now immediately visible: she was wearing a tank top that probably wouldn't ever be worn in public, and faded, rusty jeans, with her hair pulled back into a tight bun.  
She still looked pretty – but then again, Riley wasn't really interested in looking at women; he was here for a certain blue alien.  
The woman looked three things: surprised at his presence, embarrassed about being seen like this, and suspicious about his appearance.  
He didn't blame her – a biker-outfit was a bit unceremonious, to say the least.

He smiled his best, and pleasantly said to her;  
"Hello".

"…Hello", he woman replied, sounding a bit confused.  
"…Can I help you with something?"

"Uh…yes, please", Riley replied, doing his best to not appear threatening or suspicious; he kept his voice low, and tried not to stare at the woman.  
"I…I believe that…uh…a friend of mine might be staying here…at your house…?"

He was so hoping for some sign of recognition – perhaps a look of understanding, a exclaimed "_Oh!_", or a look of relief and a "_Thank God you're here – that little freak blasts the whole house full of that horrible rock music! – that's why I'm working right now; it was starting to peel the wallpaper off of the walls!_"

But…there came only a stare of further unflinching confusion; "_Is this guy crazy?_"

"…I'm sorry; I don't know what you're talking about", she replied, shaking her head slightly.

Riley immediately grew desperate;  
"_Please_-!...he's about three-and-a-half feet tall, has blue fur, green eyes, and carries a red backpack!...if you've seen him, you'd remember him!"

He knew how this must sound: ludicrous and crazy. If the woman really didn't know what he was talking about, she'd surely think him a lunatic, with him raving about small, blue aliens. She'd definitely call the police or someone who'd come and lock him up – it was hard enough to convince people that you weren't crazy if you rode a motorcycle, even without testimony against you that suggested an absentminded brain.  
Riley was expecting the worst when the woman's face widened; he expected the door to be closed on him.  
But…instead, she placed a hand softly to her mouth and sounded a quiet;  
"Oh…"

She released her hand from her mouth and surveyed him with an eye more serious than before.

"You…you really know him?", she asked Riley, whose chest seemed to explode with the joy of renewed hope.

"_Yes!_", he exclaimed.  
"Yes! His name is Auron and he plays the guitar!"

The woman nodded slowly, seriously;

"Yes, yes…he does…"

This was it! Riley knew it! Happiness went wild inside of him.

"Where is he? Can I see him? How is he?...please tell me!"

"…Can I ask what your name is?", the woman asked in return.

"Riley Kivanna!", Riley answered, still very happy.

The woman's face, still serious, slowly began to change, and she smiled at him, pleasantly and understandingly.

"Yes, yes", he said, her voice noticeably brighter.  
"He talks about you."

"_H-He does?_", Riley repeated, the smile on his face uncontrollable.  
"Where – how…how is he? Can I see him?"

"Well, he's not here right now", the woman answered.

"Wh-what?", Riley asked in surprise.  
"Where is he-?"

"Okay, okay…why don't you come inside, first and I'll tell you about everything?", the woman suggested.  
"I can get you something to drink, if you'd like."

"Oh…please!", Riley replied with a smile, although he was entirely uninterested in a drink; he only wanted to know where Auron was.

The woman smiled at him again, and he was grateful for it. She stepped aside so he could enter through the doorway.

"Come on in", she said to him.  
"By the way, I'm Nani."

"Nani!", Riley exclaimed enthusiastically, shaking her hand with both of his own.  
"Very nice to meet you, Nani!"

* * *

In the kitchen, Nani took two glasses and filled them with pineapple juice, which the refrigerator seemed to hold an abundance of. She added some chopped ice, and, for festive purposes, inserted a little twirly-umbrella into each glass. She turned away from the counter and walked over to the table where Riley sat, still in his bike boots. He smiled gratefully and held out his hand as Nani handed him the cool drink, now complete with a straw. 

"Thank you", he said softly, and wasted no time before taking a long sip.  
"I've been riding my motorcycle for about three hours…you've saved my life with this."

"No problem", Nani replied, taking a seat across from him.  
"Three hours? That must've been one heck of a journey."

Riley nodded and sipped at his drink again.

"Not just today…I had to take a cruise ship over to this island; it was an overnight ride."

"Really?", Nani asked with interest.  
"Wow…did you take the motorcycle onto the ship, too?"

"Yeah; I would've preferred taking my car, but only bikes were allowed on the ferry", Riley answered.  
"I've only had my bike for about two months, now…I actually bought it for coming here."

"To my place?'

"No…I'd thought about looking for, or…coming after Auron for some time…and I thought that a motorcycle would be convenient."

After saying this, Riley squeezed his glass in his hand and residled himself in his chair. He looked very impatient.

"…Please, Nani", he asked, nearly begging.  
"Where's Auron? I haven't seen him for half a year, and I really…please tell me what's going on."

Nani looked into her glass thoughtfully. She knew that there was no simple way to tell the entire story in a way that'd be quick enough for her tense visitor, and getting the entire tale over would take more than a moment. She searched for her words briefly before looking back up at Riley, who sat looking jittery.

"…We have…a very extensive family, here", she began.  
"I would think that it'd be harder for you to believe if you hadn't…had your own experiences, and seen for yourself…but…to tell you straight…I live here with my little sister, and nine aliens…your friend not included."

Riley seemed to stiffen a bit, and the look on his face showed some disbelief. It was true that Auron had kept him briefly informed about the place that he was staying at, but to hear it now, and to try to believe that he was now sitting in a place that housed nine other extraterrestrials was a bit overwhelming…if not slightly hard to believe.

"…Where are they all?", he asked quietly.

Nani smiled and pointed a finger up at the ceiling.

"Listen", she instructed.

Riley strained his ears…sure enough, there seemed to be some commotion going on upstairs, and much moving about between two voices.

"…Is that…are they…?"

Nani nodded with a small smile.

"Jumba and Pleakley", she stated.  
"You caught us at a bit of an awkward time…we were doing some house-cleaning while the others were away."

"…Others?"

"Yeah – Owen, Twyla, Peka, Reihana, Stitch, and Owen's and Peka's kids, Aron and Garon. Stitch has been with us the longest…but they're all about Auron's shape, if you understand what I mean."

"…Auron's shape?"

"Short, big-eared, and fluffy."

"Oh, I see…is Auron with them?"

"Yes…you wouldn't believe how much the kids love him."

Riley was unable to suppress a smile and he finished his drink quickly.

"I can imagine that", he replied, and Nani smiled.

She slid her chair back and stood up, and motioned for him to do so, too.

"Well, come on – let's go introduce you to the family."

"_What?!_", Riley choked, almost dropping his glass before staring awestruck at Nani.  
"Me?...meet other aliens?"

Nani looked slightly disdained;  
"Don't think of them as 'aliens'…they're part of the family, not monsters from outer space."

Riley closed his mouth quickly and looked down, ashamed.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to say…"

"It's alright", Nani replied quickly, waving a hand.  
"I know you didn't mean it like that. I know it sounds kinda crazy – the thought of living together with individuals from beyond our reach…but we're family, and we love eachother…as corny as that may sound."

"No, no – not at all!", Riley objected.  
"I mean…I know what you mean…Auron's part of my family and my best friend, no matter what other people may say."

At this, Nani's face glowed with admiration, and she smiled genuinely.

"That's exactly what I mean…you're a remarkable person, you know that?"

Riley wasn't sure what to make of this compliment, so he smiled simply and looked humbled…and tried to hide a small blush.  
Not sure on how to thank Nani for the nice words, so instead he responded with a question;  
"Uh, what…who were the…two guys upstairs?"

"Jumba and Pleakley?", Nani answered.  
"Yeah, they're both alright…Pleakley's a bit strange, but it's nothing to worry about. Jumba might seem overwhelming at first, but he's no worry – don't jump, okay?"

Riley followed Nani, but he fell silent at her words. He hadn't realized it before, but Nani surely was talking about the Jumba Jookiba that Auron had so darkly described many times before. He remembered that Auron had said that Jumba was indeed living at this house, but he hadn't said much about it, and now, neither did Riley. He allowed himself to be lead up the stairs quietly, while quickly pondering what he'd be able to do or say when confronted with this character…although, when he figured that Auron had been able to strike a neutrality with him, he resolved to try and do the same, even if he turned out to be despicable (although he doubted that extent; a woman like Nani wouldn't tolerate despicable characters under her roof).

"Whoa…big house", he commented, trying to remake the conversation as they finished climbing the first staircase.

"Oh, tell me about it", Nani replied with a playful groan.  
"It's nice from the outside, but you'll break your back trying to clean it."

Riley laughed appreciatively, and followed Nani up a second flight of stairs. Unlike the last one, which had led into a perfectly normal second-story of the house, this one led the pair of them to a short, narrow corridor that was barely twelve feet long. It was dark, in comparison to the well-lit second story, but a light shone out of the crack of an open door at the end of the run. Faint music became louder as they approached, and Riley noticed at once a high-pitched voice singing along with the song. Nani rolled her eyes at this.

"Pleakley", she announced pre-emptively.  
"I think he takes even more getting used to…don't worry about the dress either, okay?"

Riley had no idea what she meant by this, but he prepared himself for the unbelievable as he followed Nani, who, upon reaching the door, pushed it open. She stepped inside, and Riley peeked around the corner before following her inside.  
The room they stepped into was a large, circular space with a curved, sloping ceiling. A window at normal level lay at the far end of the room, while a small ring of smaller moon-letting outrages circled near the top of the sloping dome. Riley believed that this room looked even larger from the inside than it did outside – the floor space must've measured almost sixty feet across in any direction, and several metal shelves lined with boxes adorned the curving walls, and a wooden table covered with gizmos and gadgets lay to the left-most space of the circumference. Opposite of it, on the far right, there stood a dated-looking television set on a trolley. A computer stood close to the window.

In the center of this large room, spinning around and dancing while Cyndi Lauper played on a nearby stereo, was a pasty-yellowed-skinned creature who, much to Riley's surprise, was wearing an orange, white-flowered dress…which, surprisingly, suited and fit him very well. He couldn't help but grin slightly as he watched ("_So that's what she meant with the dress_").  
This strange character, who moved with surprising precision and rhythm on three floppy legs, danced with a mop and lip-synched to the lyrics of '_Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'_, without seemingly any awareness that he had just been walked in on by Nani and a total stranger. A single, large eyelid in his face surprised Riley further, but he started to get used to seeing this new alien figure by the time that he realized that he had two tongues in his mouth. To be honest, his dancing (although uncoordinated) wasn't too bad either (if it wasn't his dancing that Riley admired, it was his courage – it'd been a long time since he himself had let himself go loose like that).  
Nani cleared her throat audibly to announce their presence, but 'Pleakley' kept on dancing. She tried again, but Pleakley simply dipped and swerved as he ad-libbed the song in a high voice.

"Pleakley!", Nani called out eventually, causing the one-eyed dancer to lose his balance and stumble clumsily over his multiple feet.

He looked up, bewildered and blushing, stammering apologies.

"_Sorry!_", he yelped, straightening his dress hurriedly.  
"It was just – this song came on, and I really couldn't resist, so I just…"

His voice trailed off suddenly as he caught sight of Riley, standing next to Nani in leather pants and bike boots. At once, his blush disappeared and he turned pale, his mouth halfway-open as he stared in a mixture of horror and confusion at this biker-clad stranger.

"Oh…hello!", he cried, too conspicuously to not be noticed.  
"I see you've brought…a friend, Nani!...I was still cleaning…"

His eye flashed from Nani to the nearby desk, where Riley noticed there lay a blonde wig – surely Pleakley's disguise in covering up that strange antennae-like protrusion on top of his head.  
Before he could further panic, however, Nani stepped forward.

"Don't worry, Pleakley", she said with some exasperation.  
"He knows – he's a friend."

"A friend? Oh, that's relieving!", Pleakley exclaimed, with some fearful sarcasm.  
"You're bringing friends into the house, just like that, and telling them about…_what_ did you tell him? Oh, don't you know this is going to be _trouble?_"

"Cool it, Pleakley", Nani sighed, rolling her eyes.  
"He's Auron's friend…you remember Auron talking about him, don't you?"

Pleakley stiffened, but not in fear – merely in surprise and realization. He regained some of his complexion, and gave a short laugh as he looked from Riley to Nani, and Riley hoped it was a laugh of reprieve.

"Oh…I understand", he said, with respite evident in his voice.  
"That's a relief!...so it's okay, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so", Nani said as she shook her head.  
"Pleakley, meet Riley - Riley, meet Pleakley."

Riley took a tentative step forward, but eased up as Pleakley stretched out his three-fingered hand without hesitation; for Riley to be a friend of Auron's must have set Pleakley at ease.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Kivanna!", Pleakley exclaimed brightly as he shook vigorously.  
"I'm thrilled to meet you – Auron's told us so much about you!"

Riley figured that was how Pleakley knew his last name. He couldn't help but show an unfeigned smile at Pleakley's cheerful courteousness, and he shook back heartily. In his hand, Pleakley's appendage felt warm and boneless, like a three-fingered rubber glove that had been filled with fresh wax…but he didn't let this bother or deter him.

"Pleased to meet you, too", he responded, still smiling.  
"Auron's mentioned you, too."

"He did?", Pleakley asked, seemingly honored by this.  
"Well, you know, he always was my favorite – seven little monsters running around, and he's the only one who hasn't dropped something on my head!...well, him and the new one…what was her name, Nani?"

"I'll introduce you to the rest of our Ohana later, Riley", Nani said with a smile, obviously pleased at how well Riley and Pleakley had hit off.  
"Right after you meet Jumba, we can… – where'd he go, Pleakley?"

"Oh, he just went to use the bathroom, he said", Pleakley replied, before adding;  
"But I think he just wanted to get away from my music…oh, here he comes now!"

They all perked their ears intently, and sure enough, were all quick to pick up the soft, distant, and repeating thuds of heavy footsteps. Riley figured that Jumba was definitely as large as everybody was saying he was, but judging by the intended softness of the repetitive tremors, he (Jumba) was making an attempt to tread as softly as he could – Riley hated to think of what it might sound like if a creature this size would actually run through the house.  
The footsteps neared: they plodded a bit around on the lower story, climbed the stairs, and made their way across the narrow corridor, which Riley was sure must've been too small to accommodate a creature large enough to make such impactful footsteps. The door opened, and Riley had to fight not to widen his eyes to a rude extent – this character did indeed seem 'too big'.

Before him stood Jumba, whom Auron had described so many times, so hatefully. There were the four slanted eyes, the gigantic, noticeable molars, and the three pitiful strands of hair on his head. His complexion was tan enough around his large, doughy face, but he was otherwise surrounded by a purplish tinge. He seemed almost as wide as he was tall, relying on the fact that his skin looked to be filled with whale blubber instead of fat. All of his limbs (and torso and head, too, for that matter) were thick and pudgy, although Riley didn't doubt that there was some definite power inside of those arms.  
Was this really the demon that Auron had cursed about innumerable times before?

"I see you have finally turned off awful, annoying music – has your stereo system been taken away?"

Jumba stepped into the room and looked up. He wore large, khaki shorts and a wide, striped t-shirt, while his face adopted an immediate expression of surprise, as Pleakley's had. He looked at Riley with confusion, then to Nani, then to Pleakley, and back to Riley – what could this strange character be doing here? Jumba looked as if he were trying to decipher the situation, and after a short silence, opened his mouth and said, tentatively;  
"…Pondorian space pirate?"

Nani snorted, Pleakley rolled his eye, and Riley looked down at his leather pants and bike boots; did he really look _that_ bad?

"Jumba", Nani began, adopting a more serious tone.  
"This is Riley – Auron's friend."

Riley could've sworn that as Nani announced him, a hint of fear flashed across the giant Jumba's face, as if he expected Riley to cue to this and attack him. Given the look on Pleakley and Nani's faces, they thought this as well, and obviously considered it quite ludicrous…but did they see it the way Riley figured it? Did Jumba? He probably did – the best friend of a creature who hated him? Surely Auron would've described to Riley the months of systematic, torturous training and attempted murder. As his best friend, surely Riley would now hate Jumba as much as Auron did.  
Was _this_ on the doctor's mind?  
Whatever was, Jumba succeeded in pushing the wary expression off of his face, and replaced it with a shaky smile.

"…Pleased to be meeting you", he said in his strong accent, and extended a hand the size of a large frying pan.

Riley nodded, but showed only a hint of a grim smile and extended his hand as well. It was tiny compared to Jumba, whose large paw closed around Riley's hand, and Riley noted how warm and doughy it felt. They shook very briefly, and when their hands parted, they only stood and stared at eachother in hard, painful silence.  
Nani obviously noted the growing tension in the room, and quickly stepped forward, taking Riley by the arm.

"O-kay", she said hurriedly.  
"Umm…Jumba, you and Pleakley finish up here, and I'll go show Riley around a bit more, okay?"

She left without another word, pulling Riley out the door behind her. When they heard their footsteps moving down the stairs, Pleakley turned to Jumba and asked;

"Now what was all of _that_ about?"

* * *

Time passed, and eventually, the house got cleaner. Riley shed his boots and helped Nani around the house, refusing to sit still while she worked. Nani was a bit embarrassed about having her guest work, but was more than relieved when he put his strong body to use ("I swear, I don't know how I would've gotten those boxes into the basement without you"). Riley was as efficient of a worker as anybody could hope, and worked without complaint – the only deter from the ongoing, friendly conversation was his occasional "Are they gonna be back soon?" Nani told him she did not know; she had sent them away with the simple instruction to pass time. Riley worried if something may have happened to them, if they had perhaps been caught by the police, but Nani only laughed and assured him that it would take more than the police to restrain, much less capture six grown Experiments. This seemed to set Riley at some ease, but he threw himself into the extensive housework even more to further occupy himself. The fear of having come all this way for nothing, and the fear that Auron may not be here crept up inside of him again, but he tried to make Nani's word divine law: "_They'll be back, don't worry_…" 

Finally, after the hours had dwindled to mere twilight, Nani took a round-inspection and determined the house to be spotless. Riley grinned as he wiped his sweaty brow – he didn't want to admit it, but cleaning this huge house from top to bottom had been more work than setting up the ring for an _EWF_ promotion. Nani offered him the bathroom, and he accepted graciously. After washing his body and making sure the smell of sweat was off of him, he was met by Nani who offered him another cold drink on the porch, where they could wait for the Experiments. Riley allowed her to head him outside, and sipped at a Hawaiian ice tea while Nani made conversation.

"Thanks again; you're a lifesaver for showing up like you did", she told him, now wearing a clean tank top and jeans, and having abandoned the bandana.

Riley nodded with a smile, but didn't respond. Within these hours spent in the Pelekai household, he had learned more than he could have imagined about the phenomenon of other extraterrestrials on the planet. He had made up the mattresses on which several of the Experiments slept, and smelled the scent of aliens other than Auron. He had made up the couch on which Auron supposedly slept, and was joyous to recognize his scent on the cushions. He had picked up the toys with which the Experiment pups played with, and straightened the video closet, which held many children's cassettes.  
The presence of them was everywhere – in the bedrooms, in the bathroom (which contained many toothbrushes), and in the kitchen, where an entire shelf, Nani said, had been devoted solely to a certain Experiment called Owen. He had discovered an entire collection of Elvis Presley's albums in record-form, next to and old turntable in the living room, and was told that the majority of the family were big Elvis fans. A nearby ukulele had brought a smile to his face (he admired people who played instruments), and was amazed when told that it belonged to an Experiment named Stitch.

It was now that he went over these events, while standing against the porch rail with Nani, sipping iced tea, and watching a beautiful twilight sunset. It would've been enough for him to muse about these things for hours, but the adrenaline of knowing that, supposedly soon, Auron would return kept him going. By now, however, some of his excitement had dwindled to a containable level. Not to say he was no longer anxious and excited, but after hearing so many assurances and 'in a while' phrases from Nani, he had stopped jumping at small sounds and stopped hoping to see Auron appear out of thin air. To be honest, it was nice to take a moment to relax with a cold drink. Nani's presence was comforting, as well – it didn't matter that he had lost some confidence in her words saying that the Experiments would return soon; she was a very nice person who he could easily trust.  
Besides that, he thought she looked very sexy.

Pleakley stepped onto the porch, and he approached them as they turned their heads towards him. The one-eyed alien looked a bit surprised and taken aback that Riley had undone his hair, and that it now hung like a mane on his shoulders. Thankfully, this effect didn't seem to last too long, and he looked happy once more.

"Still no sign of them?", he asked, referring to the Experiments.

"Nope", Nani replied, shaking her head.  
"Although it honestly can't be too long by now; they wouldn't stay out after sunset."

"Well, say 'hello' from me, would you?", Pleakley asked as he yawned and stretched.  
"I'm beat – I might go to bed early."

He winked at Riley, and, in a motion that would make Riley feel just a bit shaken, motioned towards the shack-house down the road, where the windows were lightless.

"Good thing you showed up", the invertebrate said to him, moving towards the stairs.  
"You wouldn't, by chance, be planning on staying for long, would you?"

"Uh…I wouldn't know", Riley answered with an honest shrug.  
"I mean…maybe, if Auron…and, of course, if it's alright with Nani…"

He looked towards Nani, and she smiled at him.

"You'd be welcome to", she said.  
"There's always room for someone else."

"Well, that's just great", Pleakley perked, and clapped his hands together; he looked genuinely happy at Nani's words.  
"But I'm off to bed now. See you all tomorrow."

And with another admiring glance and a wink at Riley, he descended the two levels of stairs and made out across the dirt road, towards the shack-house. Nani and Riley watched him reach it and enter. The windows were lit, and Pleakley's odd silhouette moved across a single pane before the light was extinguished again.  
Nani turned towards Riley, and her face looked both pained and embarrassed at the same time.

"Sorry about that", she apologized, glancing back towards the shack-house.  
"Pleakley's very…eccentric. I hope he didn't discomfort you."

"Discomfort me?", Riley asked, surprised.  
"No, he didn't…why would he? He seems like a very nice guy. Besides, the dress looks good on him."

Nani looked at him for a moment, as if trying to decipher whether he was being sarcastic, whether he was lying out of respect, or whether he was actually being honest. Eventually, she appeared to grasp that he hadn't been exaggerating or untruthful, and she smiled a small grin.

"…No wonder he seems to like you", she said.

Riley nodded with a smile of his own, and it somehow seemed as if the topic was unanimously closed.  
They both turned back towards the horizon, and the slowly-setting sun looked back at them with its never-blinking, golden-orange eye. They said nothing, and only watched the sun and the declining road that lead away from the house. Riley figured that if the Experiments were to be home before the sun went down, they'd have to hurry to beat the darkness. He noticed how the light was deadening; the glare coming off of the handlebars of his motorcycle was becoming fainter.  
What might Auron say when he found out that he had a motorcycle?  
Riley began tapping his foot; the anxiety of seeing Auron again returned every time he thought of him.

Nani noticed this, and quickly realized what was up.

"You okay?", she asked, and Riley nodded.

Nani looked back at the setting sun and checked the watch on her wrist – it was getting late.

"To be honest with you…", she began slowly.  
"I'm actually getting a bit worried. They've never stayed out this late before."

Riley's head turned towards her in alarm, his hair billowing around in the motion.

"_Do you think something happened to them?_", he asked, his voice outspokenly fearful.

"No, no, no", Nani replied with a small laugh, obviously a bit surprised at his immediate jolt.  
"No, we shouldn't assume that. They're probably just having a bit too much fun. But they better make it fast, now – it's almost past Lilo's bedtime."

Riley's head lowered slightly with momentary assurance…then, he looked back up at his hostess. He had heard 'Lilo' being mentioned before, and was sure he had peaked into the room of a small girl whilst cleaning.

"…Lilo?", he repeated timidly, looking for clarification.

"My little sister", Nani explained, and there was deep affection in her voice when she added;  
"She's as much of a monster as the rest of them."

Riley smiled and set down his now-empty glass and leaned upon the railing with his left elbow, so he could face Nani.

"I have a little sister, too", he commented.  
"Two, actually, although the older one's actually the greater monster - Lara's seventeen, and Rebecca, my little one, is six."

"Oh! She's Lilo's age", Nani replied, before retorting with a question of her own.  
"Uh…how are _you_, Riley?"

"I turned twenty this year", the biker answered.  
"Only a few months ago, actually…one of the few times that Auron actually phoned me; he wanted to wish me a happy birthday by voice…"

Riley trailed off. He had brought up Auron again, but, Nani noticed, had not proceeded with the expected anxiousness like before. On the contrary, he looked very sad as he recollected this memory. Nani lowered her head slightly.

"Did he…did you two ever write to eachother while you were apart?", Nani asked gently, hoping not to further an unpleasant mood for Riley.

Riley looked up at her and raised his head. He nodded.

"Yeah…well, he sent letters at least once a month", he answered.  
"Of course, they were all one-way, so I couldn't write back to him. Heck, by the time they would arrived, he probably would've already moved on. We'd catch up as much as we could during phone calls. He'd always call at night, and Rebecca would be really upset if she found out that she had missed a call from him."

He balanced the side of his face in his palm and looked sadly out at the sun.

"I really miss him…I wish he'd finally get here…"

Watching him like this, Nani felt a drop in her own heart. She now felt that she had grasped his sadness, and finally realized the cause for his ecstaticness whenever Auron's name or his return was mentioned – Riley loved Auron. He loved him possibly more than Nani would admit for the individual Experiments she lived with. Auron was part of Riley's family, and the depth of Riley's sorrow was explained by the devotion he carried for his departed friend. He hadn't seen his face in over six months, and by understanding just how much he loved this creature was the only way to decipher his deep level of sadness. He jumped at his name, and was so eager and ready for the arrival of his presence.  
Nani knew that she hadn't really helped things by repeatedly saying that Auron would be back soon; it had raised his hopes to this point, where he simply remained sad and expectant. She felt very guilty about what she had unwittingly done.  
Nani reached over to him, and very gently, she touched his shoulder, and Riley looked up at her in surprise. She smiled at him, and noticed that his muscles were evident even at the lightest touch, even through his t-shirt.

"Hey…it's okay", she told him with a soft smile.  
"They'll be back soon, I promise…and if not, I'll get in my car and look for them; when I catch them, you better believe I'm gonna give it to them."

Riley laughed out loud, as if he were willing to jump out of his sadness for any reason.

"I'll get on my bike and help you", he said with a smile.  
"If I see Auron, I'll run him over…I'll hug the Hell out of him afterwards, but I'm gonna run him over for making me wait so long."

They laughed together, both of them more than glad that the sad state had been broken. Riley glanced back towards the sunset, and Nani smiled as she continued to look at him. She was really beginning to notice his handsomeness.

"Y'know…", she said to him.  
"You can stay here as long as you want to. I mean, if you want to get back to your family soon, that's fine, but if you'd like, you're welcome to stay here for as long as you'd like…who knows, maybe we could all go to the beach…"

But Riley wasn't paying attention to her. He was staring intently and transfixed ahead at the horizon. Nani looked, too, and she noticed, as he did, the approaching line of small figures, all of them blackened by their silhouettes against the setting sun.

* * *

Auron walked at the right end of the horizontal line they had created. To his left, Garon clutched his hand, and next to him stood his brother. Following him was Peka and Owen, next to whom stood Stitch and Lilo; Stitch was pulling (and constantly check back at) Twyla in the wagon. Reihana was the left-handed caboose of the line, and she was merely watching the conversation as they neared their home. The subject seemed to be music, and, as she had no knowledge on music from Earth or human artists, she simply nodded when somebody turned to her for a point, and looked back and talked to Twyla when Stitch was conversing with someone else.  
At this time, Auron was turning his head away and sighing. He, by no means, thought Stitch to be an incompetent or a dummy when it came to good music, but trying to get a point across Elvis Presley was impossible with him. Auron didn't yet think this an argument (in oppose to a simple conversation), but he was afraid that they were treading dangerously near the border into hostility. 

Twyla motioned for Rei to come closer to her, and whispered into her ear;  
"_Men and their guitars_…"

Garon skipped along next to Auron, happy to support him in any point he could, while Aron walked somewhat remoted from his brother, only listening. Peka stepped in to quell the air whenever it seemed on the brink of getting violent, and Owen attempted to make points of his own that never seemed to get over. Lilo, like Rei, felt that the conversation had gotten too deep for her, and she tensed whenever it got stressive.  
Stitch and Auron were in a stubborn debate on who had scored the higher ratings on the musical charts – Elvis Presley or Michael Jackson. With Stitch in full favor of Elvis, he remained immovable in his position, and debated that Elvis had been the first real rock star of all time, and that among all of his super-successful hits, it was impossible that he had not achieved the highest level of atonement in the musical world. Auron agreed halfways, but went on to point out the same about Michael Jackson, and the fact that Michael Jackson had achieved awards that weren't even existent in Elvis' time. This point was well-taken as well, but Stitch objected that it was unfair for Auron to bring out album awards, because "a vinyl record isn't the equivalent of a tape or a CD…at least not at that time".

"But even now", Auron went on.  
"His albums aren't beating Michael's. They never did."

"They're re-releases; Elvis' albums released today don't count", Stitch insisted.  
"And besides, back when the king was still around, distribution and global recognition of music wasn't as great as it is today."

"Still", Auron insisted, almost squeezing Garon's hand in frustration.  
"You equivlate and do the math on it, and it still doesn't add up! Michael Jackson's done better than Elvis – period!"

"We're not talking about who's done better – we're talking about who hit higher on the charts!"

"That's what I've been saying – and Michael definitely hit higher!"

This was definitely a point for Stitch to start going scarlet, but Twyla tugged at the pulley of the wagon to direct his attention towards her.

"Don't", she pleaded.  
"Dos it really matter? They're both good artists; why not let it be?"

Stitch was about to sputter and fume at the understatement of the word 'good', but was diverted in his attention by Peka when she called out;  
"Hey…who's that?"

They all looked ahead, towards the house. It was clearly visible from here, and it was evident to what Peka had exclaimed about - two figures were standing on the porch overlooking the dirt road, and they were both humanoid. One of them was Nani for sure, but the second figure seemed a mystery.

"Is that David?", Garon ask, ceasing his skipping as he squinted towards their home.

"No; David's hair isn't that long", Twyla pointed out.  
"His hair's almost as long as Nani's."

"Maybe Nani got a new boyfriend?", Aron speculated.

"I think she would've told us; she wouldn't let a stranger into the house without swearing him to secrecy", his mother answered.

Reihana, who was staring as intently at the new figure as everybody else, turned her head and leaned back behind the line to look at Auron.

"Auron…do _you_ know who he is?"

But Auron didn't answer. He wasn't simply staring at the stranger they approached – he was transfixed. His eyes were wide and full of shock, as if he had seen a ghost or a miracle at work. His mouth fell open, and he took no hint when Garon shook his hand worriedly.

"No way…", he said dreamily.  
"No…it can't be…can't be here…no damn way…"

"Auron, what's wrong?", Garon asked concern evident in his eyes and voice.  
"Who is that?...who's motorcycle is that?"

But Auron wasn't listening. Very slowly, his mouth was spreading and curving into a wide smile as his eyes stayed large. A strange, disbelieving laugh escaped his lips, and he whispered a name under his lips.

"…What?", Peka asked in confusion; by now, Auron had taken everyone's attention.

"Do you know who that is?", Lilo asked.

"Is he planning on staying long?", Owen wanted to know.

Auron had let go of Garon's hand. He was walking slowly forwards, while the other Experiments and Lilo had come to a halt. Their eyes switched between him and the strange person on the porch, all of the totally confused.  
After a few steps, Auron stopped. He blinked his eyes defiantly, as if wanting to rid himself of a hair that had flown into his eye. He mouthed something under his breath, and looked down at the ground. When he looked back up, the figure was still standing there. The wind was blowing against Auron's face…and he detected a familiar scent. His face split back into a smile, and he gave an ecstatic yip and broke out into a run towards the house, his words no longer silent or incoherent;  
"_RILEY! RILEY!_"

* * *

"_Auron!_", Riley yelled back, his mouth having assumed an unbreakable smile, as well. 

Before Nani could say anything, he tore from the porch to the stairs, jumping down them in threes at a time. He looked up at the small, blue figure racing towards him – how fast he was covering the hundred or so feet that separated the two of them. Riley had never known him to move so fast, whether in battle or in any other event or activity. He would go as far as to wonder how it was possible for him to move this fast, but not at this moment – he was ecstatic, as all of the built-up tension came pouring out of him. He wasn't sure if there were tears in his eyes or not, but he didn't really care – Auron was so, so close to him…

At the mark of fifteen feet, Auron left his feet and leapt right at Riley, would had barely reached the bottom of the stairs. Tears trailed his path as he flew, and when he finally made the forceful contact, Riley was thrown backwards into a reverse-somersault…but when they came to a halt at the base of the stairs, with Riley sitting spread-legged in the dust, he and Auron had embraced so tightly, it almost looked painful. Auron's face was buried so deeply into Riley's shoulder that he couldn't breathe, but he didn't care. Without his knowing, his second set of arms had emerged and were now hugging Riley as well. Auron's entire body clung to Riley's chest as if his survival depended on it, and was furthermore held in place by Riley's strong arms, wrapped almost vice-like around all of the blue Experiment that he could manage. There was now no need to debate whether or not there were tears in his eyes – he was sobbing openly into Auron's soft fur, his eyes shut tight and venting with tears. The two of them shook and sobbed together, Riley softly repeating over and over;

"_Auron…Auron_…"

Auron managed to raise his head a bit off of Riley's shoulder, but immediately broke into a fit of crying of his own, and pushed his face against Riley's neck. He squeezed him as hard as he lovingly could, without trying to keep his own body from shivering.

"_R-R-R-R-Riley_…", he cried in a breaking voice, lifting his head only enough to free his mouth.  
"_I am…s-s-so sorry…I…I love y-y-y-you_…"

Riley nodded into Auron's neck, his own eyes still shut tightly. His fingers ran over the fur of Auron's back, and he felt the familiar, unexposed skin underneath. He smelled his scent once more, felt his breath, and felt his familiar touch: everything he hadn't forgotten about him in those six months.

"_S'okay…its okay_…", he whispered in a squeak.  
"_It's okay…it's all okay now_…"

He raised his head from Auron's back, and the Experiment did the same. They looked at eachother with teary, flickering eyes, and raised their hands to run over eachother's faces.

"R-Riley…", Auron said quietly, a small smile showing on his quivering lips as he ran his hand through Riley's long hair.  
"…You've changed…"

"You haven't…", Riley sobbed, the same smile on is face as he stared deeply into Auron's deep-green eyes and petted his face.  
"Do…do I at least look good?..."

"Oh yeah", Auron said, his voice breaking as he laughed.  
"Awesome…beautiful…just like Sabbath…"

They embraced again tightly, and both of them rested their heads on eachother's shoulders. Their fast breathing and sobbing had died down a bit, and they enjoyed the familiar feel of the other's body.  
Here he was – the same face, the same body, the same smell, the same eyes, and the same voice…they had finally found eachother again: their best friend in the entire universe.

"Riley…I'm so sorry…", Auron said quietly.  
"I never wanted to leave. I-I didn't know…I…I thought…I thought…"

"_Shhh_…", Riley cooed to him softly, rubbing his back softly, and a smile slowly etched its way across his tear-surged face.  
"It's okay…I've found you, and now you're safe…and so am I."

Auron nodded into his shoulder, and kissed Riley's neck softly.

"Yeah…you too."

* * *

"_The sun is sleeping quietly, once upon a century  
Wistful oceans, calm and red; ardent caresses laid to rest_" 

-Nightwish, _Sleeping Sun _

* * *

(_A/N: finally…after five months, I've at last managed to procure the chapter of_ Love and Burden _that will mark my official peace to the story, until I write for it again.  
I hope everybody who has taken the time to read has enjoyed this chapter; it is officially my longest one _(by a count of words) _for any story I have ever written…and to say that I am not a bit proud would be a lie.  
My farewell from this story will most likely be a quiet one, and that is how I wish it – perhaps I will return at a time when, by some miracle, raised interest has returned to my stories. I pray this chapter will go without any controversy or the upsetting of certain people.  
Oh, but why am I being so morbid? I'm actually quite happy that this chapter is finally complete. I'll be working on other stories while I hit hiatus on this one, but I'll always remember and keep in the mind the things I want to do or the places I want to go with this story…for I believe it really is special. _

Disclaimer: I do not own eBay_, the_ Triumph _model of motorcycles, Cyndi Lauper or her song _'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'_, or Black Sabbath…obviously, if I owned any of them, I'd be a heck of a lot richer_.

_Until my next chapter, I wish you all farewell – may we prosper in the temporary absence of _Love and Burden._  
Bye!_)


End file.
